Located on the second floor until September 18th, the show continues the historical relationship between the Southern Highland Craft Guild and Haywood, an educational center of the Guild. This new generation of craft is led by instructors Amy Putansu in fiber, Brian Wurst in wood, Emily Reason in clay, and Robert Blanton in metals & jewelry. Students of the Haywood program come from all over, with or without prior experience of craft, and sometimes pursuing it as a second or third career. The course of study is challenging, combining craft concentrations with supplemental classes in design, drawing, craft history, business, marketing and photography.

Haywood Community College and the Southern Highland Craft Guild share a history that documents the role of craft education in preserving traditional culture, creating economic opportunity and fostering professional practice. All of the artists represent the vitality and creativity of craft practice today, which is the ultimate purpose of both institutions. Many Haywood graduates have become individual members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and have served the Guild in various capacities.

Instructor Brian Wurst of the Professional Crafts Wood program says, “Our programs have thrived for nearly five decades, and our relationship with the Craft Guild has been a key part of that. We’re always thrilled to have work showcased at the Folk Art Center, and in turn scores of our alumni have gone on to become active Guild members. The Graduate Show is the capstone of two hard years by these students, and it’s a delight to share it in this beautiful space.”

Haywood Community College is located in Clyde, North Carolina, just west of Asheville. The college’s Professional Crafts Program began in recognition of the region’s strong craft heritage. It was envisioned that students would learn the basics of craft media and how to transform that craft into a business. The clay studio was the first to open in 1974. With the addition of jewelry, wood and fiber studios, a comprehensive curriculum was in place by 1977.

Anyone interested in taking courses at Haywood Community College can contact the success coach, Farrah Rodriguez [email protected] 828.627.4505.

The Haywood Community College Professional Crafts Program, Graduate Show, Class of 2024 is a free exhibit at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in East Asheville. For more information, visit www.craftguild.org or call 828-523-4110. For more information about the Professional Crafts Program, call 828-627-4674 or visit creativearts.haywood.edu.

Focus Gallery Exhibition featuring five members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, located upstairs at the Folk Art Center. May 24-August 19, 2024.

Featured Artists:

1. Billy Bernstein  – glass
2. Christine Smith – wood
3. Tamela Wells – jewelry
4. Robert Milnes – clay
5. Pam Grainger Gale – 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. Admission is free. Open Daily 10am-5pm. 

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 shared resources, education, marketing, and conservation. The Southern Highland Craft Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. 

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with a guided trail walk! April through October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 15 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

There is no pre-registration; walks are first-come first served and sign up sheets are located in the Baker Visitors Center.

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Know Before You Go

• Guided Trail Walks are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age.
• Guided Trail Walks are rain or shine and all participants should be dressed comfortably and for the weather.
• Hikes cover 1-2 miles and last 1.5-2 hours.
• Well-behaved leashed pets are welcome to accompany their owners. In the rare case that a pet is disruptive or negatively impacts the experience, the pet and its owner may be asked to excuse themselves from the guided walk.

All Month Long in June at the Swannanoa Library

Join us at the Swannanoa Library to create a collage mosaic Juneteenth Flag. While communally creating this flag, learn the history and meaning of this flag and all that it represents.  This program will continue for entire month of June where the community can add to it over time. All ages are welcome to contribute.

Calling all Buncombe County Democrats!

Join us for an afternoon of knocking on doors and talking with your Democratic neighbors.

After you’ve signed up to canvass, register for an online training on canvassing with MiniVan. https://www.mobilize.us/ncdems/event/602441/

Explore Asheville with the whole family!

Age Restrictions

All Ages Welcome!
(Content is geared towards ages 5-12 years old)
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Children 3 and under do not need a ticket if they are sitting in an adults lap.

Duration

60 Minutes

What’s Included

Crazy funny guide
Off-bus characters
Fun facts about Asheville
Age-appropriate jokes

About

Now’s your chance to bring the whole family on the big purple bus! Educational and entertaining, LaZoom’s Kids’ Comedy tour features a perfect blend of Asheville information and kid-centric comedy. Geared specifically towards the 5-12 year old crowd, you’ll learn about our city’s history and see the sights in true LaZoom style – complete with our famously outlandish tour guides, hilarious comedy skits, and all sorts of special appearances! Perfect for birthday parties or school field trips, it’s the best thing to do with your kids in Asheville. It’s a show on wheels!

The tour is 60 minutes long and includes no stops. The tour is hosted by a zany tour guide, and along the way other characters will hop on the bus and perform kid-centric sketches (Candy Pirate, Ninja, and a Levitator) The tour is not only fun – it’s educational! Kids and adults will learn new and interesting facts about Asheville along the way. There must be 1 adult for every 4 children. We do not allow any unaccompanied children. Children 3 and under do not need a ticket if they are sitting in an adults lap.

Waitlist

If your desired time and availability is full, then please give us a call to be added to the waitlist.

Hendersonville Theatre is a small theatre that welcomes actors, dancers, and singers of all experience levels. You don’t need any experience to audition. We are hosting auditions for our upcoming One-Act Festival at our theatre in Hendersonville, NC, and we will also accept video auditions.

One-Act Festival roles are open to anyone ages 16 and over who lives throughout Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. All experience levels are welcome to audition. Our actors are compensated through audience donations, so we do not guarantee a stipend or provide housing, meals, or pay for rehearsals. However, we offer a warm, friendly, and creative environment where you can showcase your talents and feel appreciated for your contribution.

We encourage performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to attend our audition.

To learn about auditions and to sign up, please visit https://hendersonvilletheatre.org/one-act-festival-auditions/

A properly designed irrigation system can save you time and money and your plants will be healthier and more disease free. Learn to design and install a drip irrigation system in the home garden, from one raised bed or a few pots to a larger area of row crops or a large border. We will discuss the advantages of an irrigation system and see examples of some of the equipment and materials used.

The first part of the program will be held inside. We will then move outside to examine the irrigation system in the Rose Garden.

Event is free but registration is required. Please dress appropriately we will be in the garden.

On June 28 and 29, the Friends of Pack Library will be having their annual Super Summer Sale of antique, collectible, & coffee table books. There will also be a special sale on all items in Bookends Used Book Store for these two days.

On Friday, June 28 all of the antique, collectable and coffee table books in Lord Auditorium will be priced as marked. This sale will include hundreds of newly acquired signed mystery books. Sealed DVDs and children’s better books will be available in the auditorium Friday only, priced as marked. All items in Bookends Used Book Store on the main floor of the library will be half off, with books in the children’s area of Bookends specially priced at 25¢ each.

On Saturday, June 29 the antique and collectable books in the auditorium will be half off the marked price. Bookends items will still be half off, with books in the children’s section marked down to 10¢ each.

All proceeds from this sale will benefit Buncombe County Public Libraries. If you have any questions, contact the Friends of Pack Library.

Friday, June 28 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday, June 29 from 10 a.m-3 p.m.

On June 28 and 29, the Friends of Pack Library will be having their annual Super Summer Sale of antique, collectible, & coffee table books. There will also be a special sale on all items in Bookends Used Book Store for these two days.

On Friday, June 28 all of the antique, collectable and coffee table books in Lord Auditorium will be priced as marked. This sale will include hundreds of newly acquired signed mystery books. Sealed DVDs and children’s better books will be available in the auditorium Friday only, priced as marked. All items in Bookends Used Book Store on the main floor of the library will be half off, with books in the children’s area of Bookends specially priced at 25¢ each.

On Saturday, June 29 the antique and collectable books in the auditorium will be half off the marked price. Bookends items will still be half off, with books in the children’s section marked down to 10¢ each.

All proceeds from this sale will benefit Buncombe County Public Libraries. If you have any questions, contact the Friends of Pack Library.

Presenters: Dave Bush and John Fieselman, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers

A properly designed irrigation system can save you time and money and your plants will be healthier and more desease free.

Learn to design and install a drip irrigation system in the home garden from one raised bed or a few pots to a larger area of row crops or a large border. We will discuss the advantages of an irrigation system and see examples of some of the equipment and materials used.

The first part of the program will be held inside. We will then move outside to examine the irrigation system in the Rose Garden.

Please dress appropriately for being outside in the garden.

Registration: The talk is free, but seating is limited and registration is required. Please click on the link below to register. If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522.

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

In the early 1900s, travel by train and automobile became more accessible in the United States, leading to an increase in tourism and a revitalized interest in landscape painting. The relative ease of transportation, as well as the creation of National Parks, allowed people to experience the breathtaking landscapes of the United States in new ways. Artists traveled along popular routes, recording the terrain they encountered.

This exhibition explores the sublime natural landscapes of the Smokey Mountains of Western North Carolina and Tennessee. While there were several regional schools of painting around this time, this group is largely from the Midwest and many of the artists trained at the Art Institute of Chicago or in New York City. Through their travels, they captured waterfalls, sunsets, thunderstorms, autumn foliage, lush green summers, and snow-covered mountains—elements that were novel for viewers from cities and rural areas. Though some of these paintings include people, they are usually used for scale and painted with little to no detail, highlighting the magnificence of nature.

Rudolph F. Ingerle, Mirrored Mountain, not dated, oil on canvas, 28 × 32 inches. Courtesy of Allen & Barry Huffman, Asheville Art Museum.

Robert Turner (1913-2005) arrived at Black Mountain College in 1949 to establish the first studio pottery program at the College. He worked with student architect Paul Williams to design the Potshop and stayed until 1951 as a teacher and potter. There he formed lifelong friendships with M.C. Richards, Joe Fiore, and Natasha Goldowski Renner, and was part of the lively mix of art and ideas generated by Clement Greenberg, Katherine Litz, Kenneth Noland, Theodoros Stamos, and many others. Turner’s education prior to his arrival at Black Mountain included Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, The Barnes Foundation, Penland School of Crafts, and Alfred University.

After Black Mountain, Turner and his family moved to Alfred Station, NY where they bought a farm, and he established a successful studio pottery practice and actively exhibited his work in galleries across the U.S. In 1958 he began teaching pottery and sculpture at Alfred University where he would lead the ceramics program until his retirement in 1979. In addition to his influential teaching position at Alfred, Turner taught at Penland, Haystack, and Anderson Ranch helping a new generation of artists and potters develop their work and establishing his own reputation as a gifted teacher.

Robert Turner’s travels to Africa and to the American Southwest proved to be important life experiences and important to his growth as an artist. Over his lifetime he received many awards for his work, but his humble, gentle demeanor and Quaker background helped keep him centered while also remaining open to exploration and discovery in nature and life.

The exhibition will include work by some of Turner’s students and colleagues at BMC, Alfred University, and Penland as well as work by contemporary ceramic artists whose work fits within the context of the show. Artists include: Meredith Brickell, Cynthia Bringle, Marjorie Dial, Cynthia Homire, Bill C. Jones, Bobby Kaddis, Karen Karnes, Eric Knoche, Jeannine Marchand, Neil Noland, Daniel Rhodes, M.C. Richards, Gay Smith, Tom Spleth, Adele Suska, Lydia C. Thompson, Xavier Toubes, Jerilyn Virden, Peter Voulkos, David Weinrib, and Kensuke Yamáda.

I wanted to work with clay so that the way it moved, the vitality of clay, is not meeting something that’s been on the drawing board. It’s using clay with abstraction to start with and then seeing what it’s going to do, how it will move and change, and always surprise you.

Curated by Alice Sebrell, Director of Preservation

Bender Gallery Artists Featured in Asheville Art Museum Exhibition The New Salon: A Contemporary View The Asheville Art Museum will be opening their exhibit, The New Salon: A Contemporary View, on March 8 and it will run until August 19, 2024. The New Salon offers a modern take on the prestigious tradition of the Parisian Salon with the diversity and innovation of today’s art world. Guest-curated by Gabriel Shaffer, the show will include works from Pop Surrealism, Outsider Art, Street Art, and Graffiti genres.   Bender Gallery has been collaborating with the Asheville Art Museum to loan four paintings from three of our artists. The artists are Laine Bachman, Kukula, and Yui Sakamoto. Be sure to check out this special exhibition in downtown Asheville. Learn More Kukula, Impossible Voyage, oil on board, 48 x 24 inches Kukula (b. 1980, Israel) Nataly Abramovitch, better known in the art world as, Kukula, paints imagined worlds filled with elaborately dressed women in fanciful settings. The artist does extensive research on the layouts of paintings from the Renaissance and Rococo periods. Kukula subverts these images by depicting women characters in place of traditionally male positions and settings. Her characters are powerful, commanding, and have an air of indifference. Available Work Yui Sakamoto, Self Portrait, oil on canvas, 63 x 63 inches Yui Sakamoto (b. 1981, Japan) Our surrealist artist, Yui Sakamoto, will have two paintings featured including My Soul and Self Portrait. Self Portrait is still available from his recent solo exhibition at Bender Gallery. Standing in front of Self Portrait, one is immersed in the dual-worlds of Sakamoto’s Japanese and Mexican cultures. There is a sense of calm reflected in the repeating rose pattern, mixed with the uneasy realization that the coral, fungi, and otherworldly forms are what makeup the figure. Available Work Laine Bachman, Night Bloomers, acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24 inches Laine Bachman (b. 1974, USA) Our prolific Magical Realism artist, Laine Bachman, makes a feature in the exhibition with her painting, Night Bloomers. She has been hard at work making 17 new pieces for her solo exhibition at the Canton Art Museum in Canton, Ohio. The Canton show opens on April 28 and continues through to July 28, 2024. Available Work

When one thinks of the necessities of life, one element immediately comes to mind: water. When one thinks of modern abstraction, the dynamic realm of contemporary art where boundaries are blurred and creativity knows no limits, one name shines brightly: Patricia Hargrove.

The Asheville Gallery of Art proudly presents its June exhibit of Hargove’s series that depicts the powers of water to energize, refresh and heal the soul and body. This masterful exhibit runs June 1-30, with an opening reception on Friday, June 7 from 5-7:30pm. Everyone is welcome.

Buncombe County Public Library is thrilled to announce The Hop Ice Cream as a proud supporting partner of this year’s Summer Reading Program to encourage youth literacy in our community. The Hop will provide free ice cream at the Summer Library Fest on Saturday, June 8 from 10 a.m.-noon at East Asheville Library. For added fun, The Hop owner Greg Garrison will collaborate with Secret Agent 23 Skidoo to provide a special dance performance to families in attendance.

Any kid or teen who visits a Buncombe County library to pick up their summer reading activity sheet will also receive a 10 percent off coupon redeemable at any Hop location or at Pop Bubble Tea. Return your completed activity sheet to any branch and receive a bookmark for a free kiddie scoop of ice cream at any Hop location. You must complete 10 or more activities on your sheet to be eligible for ice cream – and you can also select a free book of your choice!

Summer Reading runs from June 1 to  August 31 and is open to anyone from birth to age 18.  If you have any questions, just contact your friendly neighborhood library.

Visit LEAF Global Arts every Saturday for an in-house cultural exchange with Adama Dembele. Experience the Ivory Coast with our Culture Keeper from the House of Djembe.