NC State Parks’ Year of the Tree continues with a celebration of spring trees. Break out your camera and capture the transformation of trees from winter to spring as they show off their gorgeous blooms throughout the next few months. 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, two boat tour tickets from Lake Lure Tours, and dinner for two 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 two annual passes to Chimney Rock State Park and dinner 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 dinner for two at the Old Rock Café.

CONTEST RULES:

1. There is no fee to enter the contest. All photographs must be taken of Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park only in areas accessible to guests between April 1, 2022 – May 31, 2022.
   The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers.
2. Up to three photos per person can be submitted via any of the following ways to be eligible to win:
   • Facebook: First, like the Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park page. Next, send us a private message including your contact information specified in rule #3.
   • E-mail: If you don’t have access to social media, you may email your digital photo with your contact information specified in rule #3 to [email protected].
3. Every entry should be clearly labeled with the photographer’s name, city & state, a brief photo caption, an email address and the best phone number to reach you.
4. Photos should be available at a minimum resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels (1 MB minimum) to be eligible to win. Photos taken via smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices are welcome if they meet minimum requirements.
5. For entries showing human faces, you must list their name(s) and have written permission from any photographed person(s) to use their image.
6. Entries should reflect the photographer’s interpretation of the theme. Emphasis will be placed on quality, composition and creativity. All entries may be used in promotions of Chimney Rock and park-related activities.
7. Digital images can be optimized but not dramatically altered with photo editing software. Black and white photographs are welcome.
8. Finalists will be chosen by Chimney Rock staff and the winner will be voted on by the public. Decisions regarding winners are final.

Winners will be notified personally and announced on Chimney Rock’s social media. For more information, call 1-828-625-9611, ext. 1812 or email us at [email protected].

Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?

Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.

The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that helps communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. Activities of the American Red Cross Western North Carolina Chapter include: Blood Services, Training Services, Disaster Services, and Home Fire Campaign.

Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood and one blood donation can save up to three lives. Help support lives in North Carolina by signing up to become a Blood Drive Volunteer today.  

Time Commitment:

Blood drives occur M-F and volunteers are expected to attend one blood drive a month to remain an active volunteer. This position is flexible as volunteers can sign up for shifts that work for their schedule and instructions for shift selection will be sent after responding to the opportunity.

Volunteer Roles:

• Warmly greet donors and assist with registration in reception area.
• Assist with initial intake and hand off through blood donation process.
  • Ensure donors have relevant information and all questions are answered appropriately.
  • Maintain proper sanitizing and cleanliness of reception and hospitality areas.
• Attend canteen area in support of donors.
  • Thank donors for their contribution.
  • Alert staff immediately if a donor shows signs of feeling unwell.
• Inform donors of current and upcoming donation promotions.
  • Make reminder/cancellation calls.
  • Reschedule donor appointments.
  • Perform follow-up activities as directed.

Volunteer Requirements:

• Modeling excellent customer service behaviors.
• Knowledge of technology needed for position (training provided)
  • Donor checkin, donor tablet, rapid pass, donor app.
• Comfortable working with people from diverse communities and backgrounds
• Dependable, punctual, and professional
• Adhere to all Red Cross guidelines
• Ability to remain calm in crisis situations
• Adhere to CDC safety guidelines regarding COVID-19 precautions
• Safety First! Our need for volunteers is constant and our guidelines reflect the latest CDC safety recommendations and follow the national and local government laws. COVID-19 vaccination will be required for in-person volunteer roles beginning January 3, 2022.

Turn the Dallas Asheville into a giant game board with this fun scavenger hunt adventure. Combine the excitement of the Amazing Race with a two and a half-hour city tour. Guided from any smart phone, teams make their way among well-known and overlooked gems of the city, solving clues and completing challenges while learning local history. Start when you want and play at your pace. Price is per team, not per person. Find details and Redeem your ticket as a Prepaid Code online at www.UrbanAdventureQuest.com.

It can be ruff out there for our canine companions, but we have pawsitively great news. Buncombe County’s first-ever dog park is now open at our Sports Park in Candler. While this is a soft open, the park features two fenced-in play areas; one for large dogs and one for smaller pups. “We do have plans to add other amenities and water fountains,” exclaims Recreation Services Program Coordinator Mac Stanley. “People are very excited about this new opportunity. Since it was announced, we have gotten letters of support as well as many emails questioning when will the project be completed.”

So join us in a round of apaws as we celebrate the opening of this new venue for hot dogs and cool people. “It’s an amazing place to bring your dog to run free without a leash and interact with other dogs,” says Stanley. “One of my favorite aspects of this new dog park is being able to cultivate a community. Hopefully, this dog park will be instrumental in connecting dogs as well as people within the community.” Paw-yeah, sounds great.

Location: Buncombe County Sports Park, 58 Apac Circle

Hours of operation: Monday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (same as the Sports Park)

Dog park drools rules
Dogs must be:

• On a leash at all times until safely in the fenced-in dog park area
• Vaccinated, licensed, and in good health
• At least four months old to enter
• Wearing a collar with ID tags
• Under voice control of their human and not aggressive

Humans must:

• Be with dogs at all times
• Remove dogs at first sign of aggression
• Pick up poop and dispose of it in receptacles provided
• Be liable for any and all injuries caused by their dogs

Not Allowed:

• Pronged, spike or choke collars
• Aggressive dogs, aggressive humans, or dogs in heat
• Unsupervised children 12 years of age or younger

Recreation Services’ Lake Julian Park Rangers have assembled a new paddle boat fleet that is ship-shape and ready to hit the water. “We have received and assembled 17 brand new paddle boats to complete our fleet of 20 boats at Lake Julian Park,” notes Park Ranger Matt Dixon. “This is a great addition to the park and will be an enjoyable amenity for our park patrons for years to come.”

Lake Julian Park offers paddle boat rentals for $12/ hour and $8/half hour. The boats are available to rent every day the park is open (weather permitting), up until 2 hours before park closing time. Head over to the park on the next sunny day and make your own splash. Learn more at buncombecounty.org/parks.

The WNC Farmers Market is the premier destination for buying and selling the region’s best agriculture products directly from farmers & food producers to household & wholesale customers in an environment that celebrates the region’s diverse culture, food & heritage.

House of Operation:

WNC Farmers Market: 24/7, 361 days a year market access for farmers
Office: Monday- Friday, 8am-5pm
Market Shops: 7 days a week, 8 am-5 pm
Wholesale and Truck Sheds: 7 days a week

West Buncombe Elementary PTO is starting to plan for our silent and live auction event
scheduled for April 29, 2022. At this fun event we have a meal followed by a silent auction and
ending with a live auction of 10-15 big items. This event is typically attended by about 300
community members. Another highlight of the night is our raffle basket drawing. The event
proceeds will help pay for much-needed materials for our teachers and students.
We would greatly appreciate any donation to make our annual fundraiser a success. Should you
make a donation for the silent or live auction your business will be recognized on the auction
display as well as event flyers. We will also provide a donation receipt letter with the PTO’s tax
exempt ID number for your records. A list of needed items or ideas can be found at the bottom
of this letter.
If you have any questions or need further information please contact us via email
[email protected] or call 828-232-4282. On behalf of the students, parents, and
faculty of West Buncombe Elementary, we thank you.
Sincerely,
West Buncombe Elementary PTO
Raffle Basket Items needed for
1. Gift Card Basket (any gift cards to make this basket great)
2. Local Business Basket (Local business items that promote our community)
3. Family Fun Basket. (New Board Games, Sports Equipment, Movie Tickets. etc..)
Silent Auction Items:
New or Like New Items with a value of $25 to $100. (Popular items from the past.
1. Photography Session 2. Fishing Equipment 3. Small Appliances 4. Spa Services 5. Sporting
Event Tickets 6. Handmade Items from Local Craftsmen.)
Live Auction Items:
New or Like New Items with a value of $100 or more. (Popular items from the past.
1. Bicycles 2. Vacation Packages 3. Jewelry 4. Furniture 5. New Appliances 6. Musical
Equipment) 7. Monetary Donations will also be accepted.

April 1st through May 26th, 2022

The Blue Ridge Humane Society Thrift Store will be one step closer to pre-pandemic operations beginning on Monday, April 4, 2022. The Thrift Store will be adding Mondays to their weekly schedule to welcome shoppers 6 days a week.

The store hours will expand to Monday-Saturday, 9:30am-4:30pm, and is located at 1214 Greenville Highway in Hendersonville.

The Thrift Store accepts donations Monday-Friday, 9:30am-2pm, so consider donating items when you are downsizing, cleaning out, or replacing gently used items. The Thrift Store also offers free pickup service of furniture or large items. Please call 828-620-3150 to schedule a pickup.

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.

South Asheville’s best yoga option! Dosha based yoga from an Ayurveda Health Counselor and Ayurveda Yoga Specialist!

Come as you are and bring a mat and a mask

About Kristin:

Kristin received her first 200-hour from Bodhi Yoga in Long Island, NY, and her second 200-hour from Yoga Madre in Sierra Madre, CA. She is currently working on her 300-hour program with Yoga Madre and also studying ParaYoga.

Kristin also runs a marketing and design studio that specializing in helping yoga teachers, coaches, healers, and solopreneurs create personal brands and websites that stand out in the crowd.

Off the mat you can find Kristin hiking with her husband, cooking amazing plant-based meals, and spending time with friends and family.

ARTSVILLE Collective at Marquee opens its first public exhibition showing guest artist Micah Mackenzie’s mixed media and Rhona Polonsky’s ceramics, along with the work of founding artists Daryl Slaton’s pop animation and Louise Glickman’s mixed media. Between the Lines will be on display from February 1 through April 24 at 36 Foundy in the RAD (Booth D11). The styles of each artist differs greatly but connect through thoughtful storytelling, coming alive in a mix of mediums, paint, clay, textiles and animation. The viewer is encouraged to consider how they come together, to read “between the lines.”

Micah Mackenzie mixes media with mark making into imposing layered abstracts mimicking memories from childhood: playfulness and whimsy with splashes of color, seemingly with abandon. A closer look reveals balance and harmony within the chaos. Coatings of storytelling lead us to consider the human condition from the subversion of mythology to the magic of science. He invites us to see inside to what is intrinsically beautiful and empowering.

Rhona Polonsky’s pottery uses the language of lines and spaces that merge and connect to reveal their meanings: lines as boundaries to be crossed or parallels to read between. Her doodling since childhood grew in expression as she traveled the world, teaching young international students for over thirty years in Asia and Africa, from Indonesia to India. Her sgraffito vessels, lively and offbeat, evoke amusement, playfulness, whimsy and enthusiasm. They speak to us in a special language that warm our hearts with both simplicity and sophistication.

Daryl Slaton’s work is overtly whimsical as he introduces his newest anthropomorphic character Gallagher, a playful tiger cub who entertains us through animation and augmented reality. Over twenty panels speak to us through the digital powers of augmented reality and the eyes and antics of Gallagher, a character staunchly loyal to people and place. These narratives bring both smiles and amazement evoking warm memories for adults with their own stories to tell their families.

Louise Glickman’s storytelling is revealed through weaving of nets and textures where lines move over, under and around using bits of fabric, paint and plant materials. Her highly textural works are largely connected through her own life experiences and a love of nature and travel. Select pieces reveal her special interest in understanding the yin and yang of countries and cultures that have informed her worldview, from her childhood in New Orleans to travel with the Penland School to Cuba, Japan and Denmark.

Get in a video audition for your chance to join us ALL SEASON LONG! There are auditions for THREE of our upcoming shows all going on RIGHT NOW! We want you to be a part of our 50th Season, so we hope you’ll come out and bring us your talent! Actors should submit initial audition information online through our website at https://www.montfordparkplayers.org/about-us/volunteers-page/ and may do so at any time. The Montford Park Players is committed to gender-neutral and race-conscious casting. ALL are welcome and invited to participate! Please note all dates and deadlines: For auditions for The Little Prince, directed by Jason Williams, the submission deadline is midnight Friday, April 8, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person at the amphitheatre on Saturday, April 23. The director will contact each pre-selected actor with specific times. The Little Prince will be performed Fridays through Sundays, June 10 – Saturday, July 9 at 7:30 pm. For auditions for Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Dwight Chiles, the submission deadline is 11:59pm Sunday, April 24, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person at the amphitheatre on Friday and Saturday, April 29 & 30 from 4:30 to 8:30 pm. The director will contact each pre-selected actor with specific times. Much Ado About Nothing will be performed Fridays through Sundays, July 15 – Saturday, August 13 at 7:30 pm. For auditions for The Three Musketeers, directed by Rodney Smith, the submission deadline is midnight Sunday, May 1, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person at the amphitheater on Saturday, May 7, with a rain date of Saturday, May 14. The director will contact each pre-selected actor with specific times. The Three Musketeers will be performed Fridays through Sundays, Aug. 19 – Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 pm. Submission deadlines for Hamlet will be announced later, through our newsletter and social media. Specific instructions for audition submissions: On the website above, click on the link below “Actor Season Audition Form” Sign in to your Google account (required as most information will be shared in Google documents) Fill out and submit the form – if you have a headshot and/or resume (not required), please upload them as part of your application. Record a short (90 second) video – you can do so on your phone. For As You Like It, a Shakespearean monologue is preferred. IMPORTANT: please name your video with your name, not the default title; ex. “Smith, John Video” On the website, click on the link below “Actor Season Video Upload Link” and upload your video. Directors will review each application and video, and will contact prospective actors for callbacks. Important: This season, the Montford Park Players will require that all persons involved with any show must be fully vaccinated, or present a request for exemption, stating the reasons. The Executive Director, in consultation with the director, will make the final decision on the selection or non-selection of any person who is not fully vaccinated. Anyone who is interested in a technical role only (stage management, lights, sound, etc.) should sent an email to [email protected] and include your background, if any. We welcome all volunteers!

• March 17 to 20
• April 7 to 10
• April 14 to 17
• May 12 to 15
• June 2 to 5

Gillian Laub, Amber and Reggie, Mount Vernon, Georgia, 2011, inkjet print, 40 × 50 inches. © Gillian Laub, courtesy of Benrubi Gallery.

American photographer Gillian Laub (born New York, 1975) has spent the last two decades investigating political conflicts, exploring family relationships, and challenging assumptions about cultural identity. In Southern Rites, Laub engages her skills as a photographer, filmmaker, and visual activist to examine the realities of racism and raise questions that are simultaneously painful and essential to understanding the American consciousness.

In 2002, Laub was sent on a magazine assignment to Mount Vernon, GA, to document the lives of teenagers in the American South. The town, nestled among fields of Vidalia onions, symbolized the archetype of pastoral, small town American life. The Montgomery County residents Laub encountered were warm, polite, protective of their neighbors, and proud of their history. Yet Laub learned that the joyful adolescent rites of passage celebrated in this rural countryside—high school homecomings and proms—were still racially segregated.

Laub continued to photograph Montgomery County over the following decade, returning even in the face of growing—and eventually violent—resistance from community members and local law enforcement. She documented a town held hostage by the racial tensions and inequities that scar much of the nation’s history. In 2009, a few months after Barack Obama’s first inauguration, Laub’s photographs of segregated proms were published in the New York Times Magazine. The story brought national attention to the town and the following year the proms were finally integrated. The power of her photographic images served as the catalyst and, for a moment, progress seemed inevitable.

Then, in early 2011, tragedy struck the town. Justin Patterson, a twenty-two-year-old unarmed African American man—whose segregated high school homecoming Laub had photographed—was shot and killed by a sixty-two-year-old white man. Laub’s project, which began as an exploration of segregated high school rituals, evolved into an urgent mandate to confront the painful realities of discrimination and structural racism. Laub continued to document the town over the following decade, during which the country re-elected its first African American president and the ubiquity of camera phones gave rise to citizen journalism exposing racially motivated violence. As the Black Lives Matter movement and national protests proliferated, Laub uncovered a complex story about adolescence, race, the legacy of slavery, and the deeply rooted practice of segregation in the American South.

Southern Rites is a specific story about 21st century young people in the American South, yet it poses a universal question about human experience: can a new generation liberate itself from a harrowing and traumatic past to create a different future?

Southern Rites is curated by Maya Benton and organized by the International Center of Photography.

Expect longer warm ups and cool downs in the summer and fall and more vigor in the winter and spring. Instructor Jamie Knox. July 4th sub Tara Eschenroeder. August 1 sub Kari Parker

N. C. Wyeth, Eight Bells (Clyde Stanley and Andrew Wyeth aboard Eight Bells), 1937, oil on hardboard, 20 × 30 inches. Bank of America Collection

The Wyeths: Three Generations | Works from the Bank of America Collection provides a comprehensive survey of works by N. C. Wyeth, one of America’s finest illustrators; his son, Andrew, an important realist painter; his eldest daughter, Henriette, a realist painter; and Andrew’s son Jamie, a popular portraitist. Through the works of these artists from three generations of the Wyeth family, themes of American history, artistic techniques, and creative achievements can be explored. This exhibition will be on view in the Asheville Art Museum’s Explore Asheville Exhibition Hall February 12 through May 30, 2022.

N. C. Wyeth (1882–1945) has long been considered one of the nation’s leading illustrators. In the early 1900s, he studied with illustrator Howard Pyle in Delaware. In 1911, he built a house and studio in nearby Chadds Ford, PA. Later, he bought a sea captain’s house in Maine and in 1931 built a small studio, which he shared with his son, Andrew, and his daughters, Henriette and Carolyn. The exhibition includes illustrations for books by Robert Louis Stevenson and Washington Irving as well as historical scenes, seascapes, and landscapes.

Andrew Wyeth (1917–2009) is one of the United States’ most popular artists, and his paintings follow the American Realist tradition. He was influenced by the works of Winslow Homer, whose watercolor technique he admired, as well as by the art of Howard Pyle and his father, N. C. While Andrew painted recognizable images, his use of line and space often imbue his works with an underlying abstract quality. The exhibition includes important works from the 1970s and 1980s as well as recent paintings.

Henriette Wyeth (1907–1997) was the eldest daughter of N.C. Wyeth and an older sister to Andrew Wyeth. Like other members of her family, her painting style was realist in a time when Impressionism and Abstraction were popular in the early 20th century. She studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and was an acclaimed portraitist, though perhaps not as widely known as her father and brother. Most notably she painted the portrait of First Lady, Pat Nixon, which is in the collection of The White House.

Jamie Wyeth (born 1946), like his father and grandfather, paints subjects of everyday life, in particular the landscapes, animals, and people of Pennsylvania and Maine. In contrast to his father—who painted with watercolor, drybrush, and tempera—Jamie works in oil and mixed media, creating lush painterly surfaces. The 18 paintings in the exhibition represent all periods of his career.

This exhibition has been loaned through the Bank of America Art in our Communities® program.

Useful and Beautiful: Silvercraft by William Waldo Dodge features a selection of functional silver works by Dodge drawn from the Museum’s Collection. Organized by the Asheville Art Museum and curated by Whitney Richardson, associate curator, this exhibition will be on view in the Debra McClinton Gallery at the Museum from February 23 through October 17, 2022.

William Waldo Dodge Jr. (Washington, DC 1895–1971 Asheville, NC) moved to Asheville in 1924 as a trained architect and a newly skilled silversmith. When he opened for business promoting his handwrought silver tableware, including plates, candlesticks, flatware (spoons, forks, and knives), and serving dishes, he did so in a true Arts and Crafts tradition. The aesthetics of the style were dictated by its philosophy: an artist’s handmade creation should reflect their hard work and skill, and the resulting artwork should highlight the material from which it was made. Dodge’s silver often displayed his hammer marks and inventive techniques, revealing the beauty of these useful household goods.

The Arts and Crafts style of England became popular in the United States in the early 1900s. Asheville was an early adopter of the movement because of the popularity and abundance of Arts and Crafts architecture in neighborhoods like Biltmore Forest, Biltmore Village, and the area around The Grove Park Inn. The title of this exhibition was taken from the famous quotation by one of the founding members of the English Arts and Crafts Movement, William Morris, who said, “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Not only did Dodge follow this suggestion; he contributed to American Arts and Crafts silver’s relevancy persisting almost halfway into the 20th century.

“It has been over 15 years since the Museum exhibited its collection of William Waldo Dodge silver and I am looking forward to displaying it in the new space with some new acquisitions added,” said Whitney Richardson, associate curator. Learn more at ashevilleart.org.

Time for another Asheville Drag Brunch! TWO SHOWS: Show times are at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and include admission, brunch, drag show, and a donation to the local non-profit organization OurVOICE.

The Grey Eagle boasts a full-service bar and brunch. The family-friendly drag queen entertainment promises to be sing-along top-notch fun with plenty of laughter and audience interaction. The show includes performances by an all-star cast of professional drag queens.

“Our shows are a blast and have sold out every time so get your tickets now,” show producer DIVINE says. “This event is a fundraiser, yes, but it is also an opportunity to showcase Asheville’s incredible local performers, restaurants, and dedication to helping the community.

Asheville Drag Brunch is held at different locations, showcases different drag queens, and the profits benefit local charities. So DRAG yourself to brunch every time!

DRAG BRUNCH

Asheville Drag Brunch is the littlest big show in town! The event is designed to showcase local and guest drag queens, promote local restaurant businesses, and support local charities.

The show happens at multiple venues, is fast-paced family-friendly fun, and is designed to raise funds for non-profit organizations. These local groups rotate and are advertised with each individual show.

A ticket to brunch ensures a seat at a table or bar, the meal, and a beverage. Remember to bring tips for the queens as this is the main way they raise additional money for the local non-profit.

During the glitter-adorned affairs, patrons howl, clap and cheer as the queens channel celebrities with spot-on lip syncing and sky-high heels. And wherever you look, there is cause for celebration. Lively groups of different genders, races and ages whoop it up for all sorts of special occasions, from birthdays to bachelorettes to anniversaries, and even divorces.