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.

Friday, August 5, 2022
North Carolina Stage Company: Season Pass
Aug 5 all-day
North Carolina Stage Company

Commit to treating yourself to a year of professional live theatre with a 2022-23 Season Pass! Whether you’re looking for flexible tickets to attend each show as you know your own schedule, or whether you’re a “book it ahead” person who has a favorite seat you just have to have: we’ve got you covered with the Season Pass!

This flex pass gives you first choice at seats or, if you prefer, time to wait and decide when you know what your calendar looks like! Ticket exchanges are always free.

All this at a 20% discount* off the price of single tickets.

That’s like seeing six shows for the price of five!

How it works: Once you purchase your pass, you’ll be emailed a special, unique code that you’ll use as a coupon code to book your tickets to each show when you’re ready. Don’t worry, we’ll have your code on file in case you misplace your copy!

 

*up to 20% depending on seat choice

 

One Noble Journey: A Box Marked Freedom
The Roommate
Be Here Now
The More Loving One
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
The Revolutionists

Please be aware that, as of 7/2022, NC Stage is still requiring masks of all staff, audience members, and volunteers. Read about more about this decision and our complete COVID-19 policy.

See you at the theatre!!

Purchase Tickets Online

…or call us at (828) 239-0263. We’re here to help!

Outpace Hunger Feed People and Your Passion
Aug 5 all-day
Online w/ Manna FoodBank

OUTPACE HUNGER

FEED PEOPLE AND YOUR PASSION!

What Is Outpace Hunger?

Looking for a way to make a real impact this spring and summer? Feed people while pursuing your passion through Outpace Hunger, an action-based fundraising campaign that turns a favorite activity into meals!

For decades, MANNA FoodBank has been working to outpace hunger and food insecurity all across 16 counties of Western North Carolina, including the Qualla Boundary. The 2022 campaign runs May 1 through September 30, and we invite you join the growing community of folks who are Outpacing Hunger alongside of us!

How It Works

Participating in Outpace Hunger is easy!

You decide your level of commitment, so every participant can create their own path to helping provide food to our community. Participants also decide how, when, and where they complete their goal, any time now through the campaign end on September 30.

Outpace Hunger participants:

(1) Register to be a part of MANNA’s Outpace Hunger community. The $20 registration fee includes a t-shirt for you and provides 80 MEALS for neighbors facing food insecurity in WNC.

(2) Choose a favorite activity (run, walk, roll, stroll, hike, bike, paddle, climb, float, skate, golf, and everything in between!) to complete individually, or as a family/group/team.

(3) Set a goal to reach. This can be an activity-related goal, a fundraising goal, or both.

(4) Invite friends and family to support your fundraising efforts through your own, personalized Outpace Hunger webpage.

Whether running a 5K, walking your neighborhood, hiking the Mountains to Sea trail, or paddling the French Broad River, Outpace Hunger participants play a vital part in ensuring our WNC neighbors have access to healthy food

READY TO OUTPACE HUNGER WITH US?

REGISTER NOW!

ALREADY AN OUTPACE HUNGER PARTICIPANT?

VISIT YOUR PAGE

 NEED MORE INFORMATION?

OUTPACE HUNGER HOW-TO GUIDE

Save $100 on tuition for Farm Beginnings and Journeyperson Program
Aug 5 all-day
online
journeyperson program
                                      insgtagram

Journeyperson Program

Early bird discount: $100 off if you apply by September 1st, 2022.

The Journeyperson Program is designed for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region. This program will give you the space and time to work on your business while making connections that deepen your peer-to-peer support.

Qualifications

 

Eligible applicants have:

  • A minimum of three years independently farming
  • A demonstrated commitment to farming in the Southern Appalachian region
  • Production goals of feeding their community and region
  • A demonstrated commitment to sustainable practices

 

Although not required, The Journeyperson Program is best suited for applicants that have the following: 

  • Secure medium to long-term land tenure (such as owned land or a lease contract)
  • A focus on livestock and/or crop production for direct-to-consumer and/or wholesale markets
  • An established farm business that needs support to refine their vision, apply whole-farm planning practices and willingness to fully utilize the resources of the program

Program Components:

 

OGS offers you a comprehensive package of support over 12 months:

3 Workshops/Trainings (November, January, February)

    • Improving Farm Communications November 6th and 20th, 2022 with Steve Torma
    • Holistic Financial Planning: January with Cree Bradley of Chelsea Morning Farm
    • Advanced Enterprise Development: February with Holly Whiteside of Against the Grain Farm
  • Mentorship: Work with an experienced Farmer Mentor for individualized one-on-one support
  • Seasonal monthly virtual cohort meetings
  • WNC CRAFT Farmer Network: Free Membership and mentoring in a regional farmer network
  •  Spring Conference: Free Admission to our 3 day conference
  • Enrollment in our Savings Incentive Program where you receive matching funds for your farm savings account
  • Identify & connect with Regional resource providers (lenders, land access organizations, small business centers)
  • Discount Offers to OGS Services: 
    • 15% off of Sustainability Coaching & Consulting program for farm design and systems development
    • 15% off of any other OGS workshops

What is unique about this program?

Participants can use this program as a tangible step toward achieving their farm goals, and make significant contributions to the agricultural community and economy. This program is designed to give tailored guidance and support for your farm business to answer questions of: scale, market access, land access, risk management, understanding cash flow, and enterprise innovation. You will leave this program with a responsive, adaptable business plan to help your farm achieve long-term farm viability and resilience.

Survey: Walk Hendo – Your Ideas and Input are Wanted
Aug 5 all-day
online

The City of Hendersonville is seeking community input to develop the planning document that would create a more pedestrian-friendly and walkable City for all. Your input will be used to envision and build a pedestrian plan for Hendersonville and, once reviewed, will be used to develop policies, determine how projects are constructed and guide the creation of future pedestrian-oriented programs and events. Anyone can share their thoughts about walking and moving throughout our City in an online survey to collect comments and opinions that will run throughout the month of August and is being led by Asheville-based transportation consulting firm, Traffic Planning & Design. The Walk Hendo project was made possible with a grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation and a financial match from the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club.

The 11th Annual ReStore ReUse Contest
Aug 5 all-day
online

Reuse Contest 2022 1236x728 Web Page No Url

ReUse Contest Guidelines

WHEN
The contest begins on August 1, 2022 and ends on September 30, 2022. Winners will be announced in October.

WHO
Anyone! (Except employees of Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity)

WHAT
The Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore is hosting the 11th annual ReUse Contest to showcase innovative building projects constructed predominantly of used building materials.

Winners will be selected in the following categories:

  • Furniture: $200 ReStore gift card
  • Homesteading (i.e. chicken coop, raised bed): $200 ReStore gift card
  • Live and/or work space: $200 ReStore gift card
  • Art: $200 ReStore gift card
  • Home Decor: $200 ReStore gift card
  • Vans & Vehicles: $200 ReStore gift card
  • Best in Show: $500 ReStore gift card

Winners will be announced in a press release, on Asheville Habitat’s website and social media pages, and featured in the Asheville Habitat ReStore.

OTHER DETAILS

  • Entries must be submitted electronically using the form provided.
  • Projects should have been completed within the last 2 years.
  • You may submit up to three separate projects (individually).
  • Re-submission of a project submitted in previous years will not be accepted.
  • Incomplete entries will not be considered.
  • Questions? Email [email protected].

JUDGING
There will be 5 judges, assessing entries based on:

  • Quality of design and execution
  • Replicability of concept
  • Clarity of description
  • Quality of photos (if we can’t see it well, we can’t judge it fairly)
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP): reduce internet service costs
Aug 5 all-day
online

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) allows qualifying households to reduce their internet service costs by up to $30 a month (or $75 a month on Tribal lands). This program also provides a one-time financial support for purchasing a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet.

ACP-eligible households may include those who:

– Utilize SNAP or WIC benefits

– Receive Social Security Income (SSI)

– Receive Medicaid

– Utilize Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)

– Participate in Free and Reduced-Price School Meal Programs

– Participate in Tribal assistance programs

– Meet the eligibility criteria for existing broadband provider’s low-income internet program

Understanding Unsheltered Homelessness-Opportunity for Input
Aug 5 all-day
online

Homelessness has increased in Asheville since the Covid-19 pandemic, with recent numbers showing a 21% increase in unsheltered people in our community. The City of Asheville, Buncombe County and the Dogwood Health Trust partnered to bring in a consultant from the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

The project has two phases:
Phase One – a comprehensive needs assessment to  understand the increase in unsheltered homelessness.
Phase Two – using the findings of Phase One to develop a set of actionable strategies and recommendations to improve our community’s response to unsheltered homelessness.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness is seeing input from he community through an anonymous survey. This survey for people residing in or conducting business in the Asheville community. It asks about your experience, thoughts, and impressions on homelessness in Asheville. The survey will be open through August 19, please take time to share your thoughts.

Donate and Vote: “Mr. and Ms. August” Campaign
Aug 5 @ 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Blood Connection--Asheville

DONATE BLOOD TO VOTE!

Right now, The Blood Connection has a critical need for blood donations and we need community members like YOU to help us out!

Community members have chosen to help TBC ramp up blood donations in August, and your donation can help crown them MR. OR MS. AUGUST!

These contestants have stepped up to be community lifesavers…WILL YOU?

Twenty contestants from across the Carolinas and Georgia have signed on to share TBC’s mission and
encourage others to roll up their sleeves this August. They include:

– Dr. Annie Andrews – Politician and Pediatrician from Charleston, SC
– Michelle Brandt – Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commissioner and Politician from
Charleston, SC
– Wool E. Bull – Mascot for the Durham Bulls Baseball Team
– Jan Correll – Blogger/influencer behind Silver is the New Blonde® in Charlotte, NC
– Jordan Coppinger – Radio Host, 98.1 The River in Asheville, NC
– Max Diekneite – News Anchor from Savannah, GA
– Jane Dough – Radio Host, Kiss 101.9 in New Bern, NC
– Anastasia Garcia – Social Media Influencer from Greensboro, NC
– Brevin Galloway – Basketball Player for Clemson University
– Dr. Carlos Grant – Principal of Wade Hampton High School in Greenville, SC
– Nikki Kuniej – Account Manager for Charleston Radio Group in Charleston, SC
– Dr. Zion Ko Lamm – Internal Medicine Specialist in Greenville, SC
– Andrew Lord – Head Coach of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in Greenville, SC

– Miguel Lucero – Paramedic and EMT Teacher from Berkely County, SC
– Walker Merritt – Football Player at The Citadel
– Ed Piotrowski – Chief Meteorologist, WPDE from Myrtle Beach, SC
– Jane Robelot – Anchor, WYFF News 4 from Greenville, SC
– Ian Robinson – Leukemia Survivor from Greenville, SC
– Sarah Margaret Sandlin – Social Media Influencer from Charlotte, NC
– Rhys Shaw – 12-year-old Lymphoma Survivor from Charleston, SC

WNC Farmers Market
Aug 5 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
WNC Farmers Market

NCDA&CS - Marketing Division - Western North Carolina Farmers Market

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

Advanced Theatre Camp Sessions * Ages 13-18
Aug 5 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

 

Advanced Campers will work with directors and their fellow campers on every step of creating a production, learning and performing a published play by the end of the week. Final performance details TBD. Masks are currently optional for all students, regardless of vaccination status. Campers should plan to bring their own lunch, water bottle, and snacks from home.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP

Please do not purchase registration prior to applying for a scholarship. Applications must be received at least two weeks before the first day of the camp session for consideration.

Advanced Camp 1: June 13-17, 2022 – WAIT LIST

Bullington Gardens: Fairy Trail
Aug 5 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

Join us on the magical Fairy Trail where your imagination is the only limit.

Developed by Fairies and dedicated volunteers, Bullington Gardens’ Fairy Trail is a whimsical treat for the young and the young at heart. Featuring charming vignettes and villages, the fairy trail will charm you with its thoughtful design, eye catching displays and secret woodland trail.

Rules of the trail:

Do not move or rearrange fairy displays. The fairies are very fond of their own decorating.

Do not leave trash on the trail. Fairies do not like litter in their town.

Please ensure children and pets are supervised at all times. Dogs and loud noises can scare the fairies into hiding.

Do not disturb wildlife or vegetation. The fairies depend on the vegetation to build their homes.

The trail is one way only. Please stay on the trail at all times.

P.S. the Fairies would like us to remind you that we are a non-profit and donations are greatly appreciated. Help us keep the fairies living in the style with which they’ve become accustomed.

MOANA WORKSHOP
Aug 5 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Asheville Performing Arts Academy

Moana 2022 Summer

Come and see how far YOU’LL GO!

This thrilling and heartwarming coming-of-age story follows the strong-willed Moana as she sets sail across the Pacific to save her village and discover the truth about her heritage. Moana and the legendary demigod Maui embark on an epic journey of self-discovery and camaraderie as both learn to harness the power that lies within. With empowering messages of bravery and selflessness, Moana JR. is sure to bring out the hero within each of us.

Camp features: acting and improv classes, music and choreography, prop building, theatre games and more!

PIGEON RAFTING SPECIAL
Aug 5 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Nantahala Outdoor Center
People browsing the
                                            outdoor gear vendor market
                                            at Guest Appreciation
                                            Festival

 

Find adventure in the Great Smoky Mountains! Try one of our two  whitewater rafting trips on the Pigeon River, conveniently located near Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Asheville, and Maggie Valley.

 

Raft the Upper Pigeon for a full dose of excitement with a dozen Class III and IV rapids, or if gentle rapids and swimming holes are more your speed, float the Lower Pigeon – ideal for families and groups with young children.

 

Save $10 per person on the Upper or Lower Pigeon! Use code: PIGEON10 at checkout.

Summer Art Camp: (Grades K–2) Art of STEAM
Aug 5 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Lev Moross, The Russian Sea (detail), circa 1975, screenprint on paper, 38 3/4 × 25 7/8 inches. Gift of Michael J. Teaford, 2001.09.03.64. © Lev Moross

 

 

Art of STEAM: Students will incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math as they create experimental, process-based, and super fun art projects!

Please note:  *waiting list*

  • Summer Art Camp is held primarily indoors in the Museum’s John & Robyn Horn Education Center.
  • Space is limited to small groups of students; face coverings, social distancing, and frequent hand-washing/sanitization are required.
  • Students can register for morning only, afternoon only, or all-day sessions. All-day camp includes a 1-hour supervised lunch break.

 

Support Small Business Growth in Your Area: Volunteer With SCORE!
Aug 5 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
online
SCORE is a resource partner of the US Small Business Administration. Our mission is to help people fulfill a dream to create a new business or grow an existing business. We are looking for people with diverse backgrounds and experiences to volunteer to be small business mentors and local community advocates.
Small businesses drive the nation’s economy. And, they have been hit hard the past few years. The 9 SCORE chapters in North Carolina are receiving many requests from folks wanting to start or grow businesses! These business owners need help. Would you be interested in joining SCORE?
Mentors provide valuable insight on many topics and give you an opportunity to share what you learned during your career. SCORE chapters members have men and women from every type of industry and position – bankers, accountants, marketing/sales, franchisees, Fortune 500 execs, and small business owners too.
SCORE volunteers do many things to help entrepreneurs. Here are some examples:
·        Business Mentor – Directly advising and supporting small business owners and would-be entrepreneurs
·        Subject Matter Expert – Supporting both mentors and business owners by providing information in your area(s) of experience and expertise
  • Workshop Presenter – Delivering presentations to either in-person or online audiences on topics that will help them grow their businesses
All our volunteers help support and grow America’s Small Business community – the greatest generator of employment in the country!
If you would like to know more about volunteer opportunities with SCORE, please visit the www.score.org. Click on ‘Get Involved’, then the Volunteer button. Our more than 300 SCORE volunteers across North Carolina look forward to hearing from you!
TECH THEATRE Class
Aug 5 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Asheville Performing Arts Academy

Tech Theatre Summer Camp

Ages: Rising Middle & High School

Love to be involved in theatre, but prefer to be behind the scenes? Maybe you love being on stage but want to explore how sets and props are designed and created? This experience is for you! You will learn how to create and execute a plan of design for our shows and help transform our space for the final productions.

Tours: Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site
Aug 5 @ 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
The Thomas Wolfe Memorial

Old Kentucky Home -The Thomas Wolfe Memorial

American Novelist Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938)

American Novelist Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938)

Considered by many to be one of the giants of 20th-century American literature, Thomas Wolfe immortalized his childhood home in his epic autobiographical novel, Look Homeward, Angel. Wolfe’s colorful portrayal of his family, his hometown of “Altamont” Asheville, North Carolina, and “Dixieland” the Old Kentucky Home boardinghouse, earned the Victorian period house a place as one of American literature’s most famous landmarks.

House tours are offered daily at half past each hour. Last tour leaves at 4:30 pm.
Group tours by reservation.

Adult – $5.00
Student (ages 7-17) – $2.00
Adult Group (10+) – $2.50 each
Student Group – $2.00 each
6 & under – Free

Hours of Operation

9:00am – 5:00pm
Tuesday – Saturday
Sunday & Monday: CLOSED
Closed State Holidays

“We Built This: Profiles of Black Architects and Builders in North Carolina” Exhibit at Pack Memorial Library
Aug 5 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library
PSABC is excited to be co-hosting the “We Built This: Profiles of Black Architects and Builders in North Carolina” travelling exhibit with the Buncombe County Special Collections.
The exhibit was put together by Preservation North Carolina and highlights the history and legacy of Black builders and craftspeople from throughout the state.
Earth’s Gifts | Focus Gallery Exhibition
Aug 5 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Folk Art Center

purple patchwork lap quilt

Featured Artists: Jude Stuecker (fiber) Erica Bailey (jewelry) Mary Dashiell (clay) Steve Miller (wood) Rex Redd (clay)

Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program Graduate Exhibition
Aug 5 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Folk Art Center
Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program Graduate Exhibition
Aug 5 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Folk Art Center
North Asheville Library Check out a Pair of Binoculars
Aug 5 @ 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
North Asheville Library

The Perfect Turkey

Want to take your hiking trip to the next level? Interested in getting a closer look at our local wildlife? The North Asheville Library now has binoculars available for check out!

RAD Collabs
Aug 5 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
North Carolina Glass Center

Image for RAD Collabs

Being an artist can be a lonely endeavor. RAD Collabs seeks to inspire artists to leave behind solitary work habits, encourage new friendships and inspire imaginative art.

We put the word out to Asheville-area artists earlier this year and had an overwhelming response from painters, potters, metalsmiths, woodworkers and others who expressed an interest in working with glassblowers.

The work exhibited in this show will shine the light on these new partnerships. Come see the show and watch glassblowers in action all at the same time!

Pictured is a collaboration between Joe Nicholson and Vanessa Tsumura.

Skateboard Re-Purposed Exhibit
Aug 5 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

The synergy of vibrant outsider art created locally and shared with Tryon Fine Arts has resulted
in a one-of-a-kind art exhibit opening June 1, 2022. The Skateboard: Re-purposed includes
works from North Carolina, Oregon, California, England and Germany. Seven artists are
featured, including Tryon’s own Jonathan Caple, Nicholas Harding (England), Matt Mercurio,
George Rocha, Michael Mauney, Paris Evans and Folk Dunker (Gemany).
Skateboarding has been popular for over a century and is now experiencing a resurgence in both

the sports arena and the art world—it became an Olympic sport in 2020 and was part of a
successful 2019 Sotheby’s auction, with boards by, among others, Damien Hirst and Marilyn
Minter.
Skateboards re-purposed as art will be on exhibit in TFAC’s Parker Gallery beginning June 1,
2022. The exhibit will feature skateboard art in many sizes and forms including graceful
sculptures, nature art, chairs, wall art, a crocheted piece, photographs, and more. Several of the
exhibit pieces will be for sale, supporting both the artists and TFAC as the exhibit sponsor.
The public is invited to attend the opening reception on June 9 from 5 – 7 PM, where they can
also meet local skateboard artist, Jonathan Caple. The exhibit will be on display through to the
end of July 2022.
To access the gallery, plan to enter through the Pavilion at the rear of Tryon Fine Arts Center.
Free parking is available behind TFAC and on surrounding side streets. For more information,
call 828-859-8322 or visit www.tryonarts.org.

Panther’s Training Camp
Aug 5 @ 10:30 am
Wofford College

TrainingCampCentral_Calendar_16x9V2

Is training camp free and open to the public?

Yes, practices are free to attend with first-come, first-serve seating along the grass hill alongside the practice fields.

Do fans have to show proof of vaccination to attend?

Proof of vaccination and face coverings are not required. Mask-wearing is not required.

Are autographs available?

This year, there will be opportunities for fans to be able to get autographs from players after practice. Signage will direct fans to the area along the Field 1 fence where there is potential for players to stop and sign autographs after practice.

Can I bring in outside food and beverages?

Fans are allowed to bring in coolers and containers with food and drink (non-alcoholic). Glass containers are not allowed for safety reasons.

What else is permitted?

The following items are permitted at camp:

-Backpacks

-Containers for medical supplies

-Flags without poles or sticks

-Folding chairs, seat cushions, umbrellas

-Strollers

-Selfie sticks

-Tablets

What items are not permitted?

The following items are NOT permitted in the practice field complex:

-Alcohol

-Explosives, fireworks

-Horns, bells, whistles, artificial noisemakers

-Illegal drugs

-Oversized tents

-Pets, excepting service animals assisting those with disabilities

-Weapons of any kind, including guns, knives, scissors and those carried with a permit

The Panthers retain the right to confiscate items judged to pose a safety hazard or diminish the enjoyment of other patrons. Prohibited items that are discovered during security inspection must be returned to the owner’s vehicle or discarded. Unlawful items discovered during inspection are subject to confiscation and the person in possession of the item may be denied entry and is subject to arrest. All containers like coolers and backpacks will be inspected before allowed to enter.

What happens if it rains?

Severe weather is always possible in Spartanburg during the summer months. Typically, practice will continue through light rain. If there is severe weather, practice times may be shifted or cancelled. Follow the Panthers on Twitter (@Panthers) for up-to-date announcements.

Where can I find up-to-date rosters and team information?

We are once again sharing a mobile-first fan guide through the Panthers app. Download the app and navigate to the Training Camp Fan Guide button. The mobile experience will have enter-to-win promotions, updated rosters and depth charts, player features, trivia, fan info, things to do in Spartanburg and more.

Toddler Story Time
Aug 5 @ 10:30 am – 11:15 am
North Asheville Library

Join us for a fun and interactive story time designed for children ages 18 months to 3 years.

American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection
Aug 5 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum
 

Jessie B. Telfair, Freedom Quilt, 1983, cotton with pencil, 74 × 68 inches. Collection American Folk Art Museum, NY, gift of Judith Alexander in loving memory of her sister, Rebecca Alexander, 2004.9.1. © Estate of Jessie. B. Telfair, image Gavin Ashworth.
American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection showcases over 80 stellar works of folk and self-taught art including assemblages, needlework, paintings, pottery, quilts, and sculpture. Organized by the American Folk Art Museum in New York, this exhibition will be on view in the Explore Asheville Exhibition Hall at the Asheville Art Museum from June 18 through September 5, 2022.

Everyone has stories to tell from both the private and mutual experiences encountered throughout their lifetime. American folk and self-taught artists capture these stories in powerful visual narratives that offer firsthand testimonies to chapters in the unfolding story of America from its inception to the present. Beautiful, diverse, and truthful; the art illuminates the thoughts and experiences of individuals with an immediacy that is palpable and unique to these expressions. These artworks held meaning in the makers’ worlds filtered through their own perceptions.

The artworks are organized into four sections—Founders, Travelers, Philosophers, and Seekers—that respond to such themes as nationhood, freedom, community, imagination, opportunity, and legacy. Evocative visual juxtapositions and accessible contextual information further reveal the vital role that folk art plays as a witness to history, carrier of cultural heritage, and a reflection of the world at large through the eyes, heart, and mind of the artist.

“While the Asheville Art Museum exhibits many folk and self-taught artists, most are local to the Southeast,” says Whitney Richardson, associate curator. “American Perspectives adds a national voice to the conversation by adding New England, Midwestern, Southwestern, and West Coast artworks that the Museum could never achieve alone. The amount of creative output from folk and self-taught artists was (and still is) on a national level and this exhibition helps to put that into a clear context. Traveling to Asheville from the collection of the American Folk Art Museum in New York, this exhibition will complement and expand the Museum’s ongoing conversations around American history and storytelling through works of art.”

This exhibition has been organized by the American Folk Art Museum, NY, with support provided by Art Bridges. Originally curated for installation at the American Folk Art Museum February 11, 2020–January 3, 2021 by Stacy C. Hollander, independent curator. Tour coordinated by Emelie Gevalt, Curator of Folk Art and Curatorial Chair for Collections, the American Folk Art Museum.

Border Cantos | Sonic Border Art Exhibition
Aug 5 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum
Richard Misrach, Wall, Jacumba, California, 2009, pigment print, 60 × 80 inches. Courtesy the Artist. © Richard Misrach, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco..
Border Cantos | Sonic Border, a unique collaboration between American photographer Richard Misrach and Mexican American sculptor and composer Guillermo Galindo, uses the power of art to explore and humanize the complex issues surrounding the Mexican-American border. Organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the transformative and multi-sensory experience will be on view in the Asheville Art Museum’s Appleby Foundation Exhibition Hall from July 22 through October 24, 2022.

Misrach, who has photographed the border since 2004, beautifully captures landscapes and objects, including things left behind by migrants. His large-scale photographs, along with grids of smaller photos, highlight issues surrounding migration and its effect on regions and people, and also introduce a complicated look at policing the boundary.

Responding to these photographs, Galindo fashioned sound-generating sculptures from items Misrach collected along the border, such as water bottles, Border Patrol “drag tires,” spent shotgun shells, ladders, and sections of the border wall itself. The sounds they produce give voices to people through the personal belongings they have left behind. The composition embraces the Pre-Columbian belief that there was an intimate connection between an instrument and the material from which it was made, with no separation between spiritual and physical worlds. Based on the Mesoamerican Venus calendar, Sonic Border plays for a total of 260 minutes and is separated into 13 cycles of 20 minutes. Within these cycles, the instruments play in small groups of two or more, or all together as an orchestra.

Presented in English and Spanish, Border Cantos | Sonic Border offers perspective on the challenges of migration, inviting us to bridge boundaries. When experienced as a whole, the images, instruments, and emanating sounds create an immersive space in which to look, listen, and learn about the complicated issues surrounding the Mexican-American border. While the artists do not seek to provide solutions to these issues, they do provide insight into a place where most people have never ventured, creating a poignant connection that draws on our humanity.

Border Cantos | Sonic Border is organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas. Support for the national tour of Border Cantos | Sonic Border is provided by Art Bridges.

Learn more at ashevilleart.org.

Draped and Veiled Art Exhibit
Aug 5 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum
Draped and Veiled: 20×24 Polaroid Photographs by Joyce Tenneson showcases Joyce Tenneson’s Transformations series, which she began in 1985 and engaged with through 2005. Transformations features partially or fully nude figures poetically presented; Tenneson’s photographs have always been interested in the magic of the human figure, contained within bodies of all ages and emotions in a broad range that are both vulnerable and bold. This exhibition features 12 large Polaroids from the poetic series. Draped and Veiled will be on view May 25–October 10, 2022.
Stained with Glass: Vitreograph Prints from the Studio of Harvey K. Littleton Exhibition
Aug 5 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum
 
Left: Thermon Statom, Frankincense, 1999, siligraphy from glass plate with digital transfer on BFK Rives paper, edition 50/50, 36 1/4 × 29 3/8 inches. Asheville Art Museum. © Thermon Statom. | Right: Dale Chihuly, Suite of Ten Prints: Chandelier, 1994, 4-color intaglio from glass plate on BRK Rives paper, edition 34/50, image: 29 ½ × 23 ½ inches, sheet: 36 × 29 ½ inches. Asheville Art Museum. © Dale Chihuly / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Asheville, N.C.—The selection of works from the Asheville Art Museum’s Collection presented in Stained with Glass: Vitreograph Prints from the Studio of Harvey K. Littleton features imagery that recreates the sensation and colors of stained glass. The exhibition showcases Littleton and the range of makers who worked with him, including Dale Chihuly, Cynthia Bringle, Thermon Statom, and more. This exhibition—organized by the Asheville Art Museum and curated by Hilary Schroeder, assistant curator—will be on view in The Van Winkle Law Firm Gallery at the Museum from January 12 through May 23, 2022.

In 1974 Harvey K. Littleton (Corning, NY 1922–2013 Spruce Pine, NC) developed a process for using glass to create prints on paper. Littleton, who began as a ceramicist and became a leading figure in the American Studio Glass Movement, expanded his curiosity around the experimental potential of glass into innovations in the world of printmaking. A wide circle of artists in a variety of media—including glass, ceramics, and painting—were invited to Littleton’s studio in Spruce Pine, NC, to create prints using the vitreograph process developed by Littleton. Upending notions of both traditional glassmaking and printmaking, vitreographs innovatively combine the two into something new. The resulting prints created through a process of etched glass, ink, and paper create rich, colorful scenes reminiscent of luminous stained glass.

“Printmaking is a medium that many artists explore at some point in their career,” says Hilary Schroeder, assistant curator. “The process is often collaborative, as they may find themselves working with a print studio and highly skilled printmaker. The medium can also be quite experimental. Harvey Littleton’s contribution to the field is very much so in this spirit, as seen in his incorporation of glass and his invitation to artists who might otherwise not have explored works on paper. Through this exhibition, we are able to appreciate how the artists bring their work in clay, glass, or paint to ink and paper.”