The Caldwell Arts Council announces a call for sculptors to participate in its 37th Annual Sculpture Celebration scheduled from 9am-4pm on Saturday, September 9, 2023 at the Broyhill Walking Park in Lenoir, North Carolina.

Sculptors are invited to enter up to 3 works in the competition that will be judged by renowned sculptor Kyle Van Lusk of Brevard, NC and offers $11,000 in cash awards. Sales and commissions are allowed with 100% of proceeds going to the sculptors. All sizes of works in all materials are welcome. In addition, large-scale outdoor works can be entered for a second exhibition and sales opportunity at the Western NC Sculpture Center.

Registration includes FREE help in unloading, installation, and removal of work; admission to the Friday night Sculptor’s Reception & Dinner; and a continental breakfast on Saturday. Local lodging options are available, as well as free camping at the Western NC Sculpture Center.

Held rain or shine, this annual family-friendly event attracts sculptors and buyers from all over the eastern United States, with attendance as high as 4,000 people. It is funded in part by generous sponsors, the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resource, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Early registration discounts are available and special rates are provided for students. For complete details, visit www.caldwellarts.com, or contact the Caldwell Arts Council at 828-754-2486 or [email protected].

he Center for Craft is excited to announce an innovative partnership with the University of North Carolina Asheville’s UNC Gillings Master of Public Health  (MPH) program, to explore the community vitality impacts of engaging with craft.  Six awarded artists, artist collectives, or art organizations will be selected for $2,200 grants to use craft to engage with regional communities in Western North Carolina.

Center for Craft Executive Director Stephanie Moore conveys “Craft contributes significantly to the vitality of community by fostering creativity, preserving cultural heritage, and promoting social connections.” Through the practice of traditional and contemporary crafts individuals develop skills, express their artistic abilities, and find a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Craft also plays a crucial role in preserving cultural traditions and strengthening identity, passing down knowledge from one generation to the next. Craft activities bring people together for social interactions and collaboration that create a sense of belonging. This collaboration is an opportunity to better understand the ways in which craft acts as an indicator of and pathway to a healthy, resilient future.

Proposals from artists, collectives, and organizations in Western North Carolina are encouraged to submit a letter of interest to be selected for the pilot program. Proposed projects should take place between September – November 2023, and engage the community with craft in some way. Each selected project will be paired with a UNC Asheville MPH student who will use methods they are learning in their coursework, taught by UNC Asheville faculty member and MPH co-director Dr. Ameena Batada, to explore and measure impacts of each project.

https://www.centerforcraft.org/event/2023-craft-and-community-vitality-virtual-information-session

virtual session July 7, 3-4pm

The City of Asheville is committed to promoting environmental sustainability and reducing plastic waste.

As part of these efforts, the City will be implementing a new ordinance, effective August 1, 2023, that prohibits the use of plastic bags for brush and leaf collection.

This regulation is in accordance with the Asheville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 15 §38(h). To assist with this transition, the City has provided paper yard waste bags for residents to sample. These are available at multiple locations. Reusable containers marked yard waste are also possible options. For more information regarding the change, visit the City’s website.

The City has provided information on alternative disposal methods on its website. One of the simplest and most efficient ways to manage loose leaves is through composting. Residents can use a mulching mower to run over the leaves, allowing them to compost directly into the lawn. Another option is to rake the leaves into a compost pile, which will decompose over time and serve as a beneficial soil additive for gardening purposes. Get more info on leaf composting here, or general composting options.

The City of Asheville remains dedicated to promoting sustainable practices and protecting the environment. By implementing this plastic bag prohibition for brush and leaf collection, the City is taking another step towards building a cleaner and greener community while having efficient and safe conditions for workers.

Food Scraps Drop Off

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in two locations for all Buncombe County residents.  This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Register for Food Scraps Drop Off

Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin?  Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.

Locations

Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

• • Dawn – Dusk

Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

• • Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.

West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

• • Library open hours
  • Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center

    85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander

    • • Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
      • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm

Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteers will be staffing the Helpline as indicated in the schedule below. You may send an email or leave a voicemail at any time and an Extension Master Gardener volunteer will respond during Garden Helpline hours. When emailing, please include a photo if it helps describe your garden question. Soil test kits can be picked up at the Extension office, 24/7. The kits are located in a box outside the front door.

Three ways to contact the Garden Helpline

Call 828-255-5522
Email questions and photos to [email protected]
Visit the Extension Office at 49 Mt. Carmel Road during Helpline hours, listed below.

Garden Helpline Hours

March – (starts March 6)
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

April through September:
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Wednesday 12:00 Noon – 2:00 p.m.
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

October – (ends October 26th) 
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

We are here to help and support you! Please contact us. We look forward to answering your gardening questions.

Grovewood Gallery will present Inqwiry, an outdoor exhibition of wire animal sculptures by Bakersville, NC, artist Josh Coté. This event is open to the public and free to attend. Inqwiry will remain on view through August 13, 2023.

If you’re behind on your water bill or afraid your water might get cut off, a new resource might be able to help you. On Jan. 4, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved more than $450,000 in federal funding for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). The initiative is aimed at preventing water disconnections and helping reconnect drinking and wastewater services.

The LIHWAP will be administered by Buncombe County-based Eblen Charities. The nonprofit will make payments directly to utilities on behalf of qualifying households. The program is slated to run through Sept. 30, 2023 or until funds are exhausted.

Eligibility requirements

Households that currently receive Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Work First services, or those that received Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) services from Oct. 1, 2020-Sept. 30, 2021, are automatically eligible to receive this benefit if their water services have been cut off or are in danger of being cut off.

For additional eligibility information or to apply, please contact Eblen Charities at (828) 255-3066.

The addition of preservation grants to our existing efforts in advocacy, technical support, preservation easements, and education, will allow us to reach a new and diverse audience.  This program will allow us to support both large and small projects from downtown Asheville to our rural and under-served communities.

Click here for the Grant Application

We look forward to helping with emergency stabilization projects and restorations of important places, to helping neighborhoods receive designations such as recognition on the National Register of Historic Places and to encouraging and supporting new and unique education and research opportunities.  We want to be surprised and humbled by the projects our community asks us to support!

As our city faces the inevitable challenges of growth, PSABC’s voice and reach must expand.  The important addition of this Preservation Grant Program comes in response to the needs of our community.

*Deadline to apply for the current grant round is Friday August 11th*

Preservation grants from $500 – $5000 will be offered to the public in three categories:

1. Bricks-And-Mortar

Rehabilitation, restoration and repair of structures that are 50 years of age or older

Some examples: Windows and doors • Exterior painting • Porches • Roofs and gutters • Electrical and plumbing • Hardscaping • Foundation • Original exterior or interior details

2. Public Education

Development of educational materials and programs that advance knowledge of our shared history

Some examples: Research and documentation • Oral histories • Installations specific to buildings, place history, and culture • Exhibitions • K–12 educational publications • Seminars and lectures • Documentary films

3. Planning, Survey and Designation

Planning and design for building rehabilitation and restoration projects, historic resource surveys and local or national designations

Some examples: Historic building condition reports • Engineering and rehabilitation plans • Feasibility studies • Historic resource surveys • Updates of previous surveys • Local and national historic designations

Read about our past winners here!

Apply for a Grant Today! We are currently accepting preservation grant applications! Grants from $500 – $5000 will be offered to the public in three categories: 1. Bricks-And-Mortar Rehabilitation, restoration and repair of structures that are 50 years of age or older 2. Public Education Development of educational materials and programs that advance knowledge of our shared history   3. Planning, Survey and Designation Planning and design for building rehabilitation and restoration projects, historic resources surveys and local or national designations Click here for application & more info (Deadline is Friday August 11th) Read about past winners here!

Founded in 1991, we are Warren Wilson College’s educational program of summer folk arts workshops held on our campus in the Swannanoa Valley near Asheville in the heart of North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

Each year, we offer a variety of week-long programs in various forms of folk music and dance over a five-week period in July and August, taught by some of the finest folk artists and instructors in the world.

We invite you to join us.

This month-long Celtic music festival takes place on the campus of Warren Wilson College. The festival’s workshops and public performances are joyous celebrations of Scots-Irish music and dance and the many musical forms they have inspired. Check website for programs, location, dates and time.

July 9-15: Celtic Week

July 16-22: Old-Time Week

July 23-29: Contemporary Folk Week

Tickets for our Time Traveling Gala on Saturday September 30th are going on sale next week! Tickets will go fast, so if you want to make sure you’re on the guest list please consider sponsoring this event by reaching out to Jamie at [email protected]. PSABC Members – $175 on sale Tues. July 18th Non-Members – $200 on sale Tues. July 25th

 On September 30^th, the Time Traveling Gala is back –

and it’s bigger and better than ever before!

You are invited to travel with us to the Enchanted (Biltmore) Forest.  Guests in groups of 100 will tour three historic homes and be treated to live music, delicious food and libations.  At our final stop of the evening, all 300 guests will come together and party the night away!

Buy your tickets and sponsorships here!

Join us and have fun while showing your commitment to keeping Asheville the historic jewel of the mountains. Thank you in advance for your support, dedication and sponsorship of preservation!

The Details:

Sponsors: Your party starts at 6:30 pm with a trolley ride to Raoulwood.  You will be greeted with a glass of bubbly and ample time to explore the gorgeous home and grounds.  From there you will visit the Adams house and then end up at the Sawyer house to party the night away! Trolleys back to your car will run from 10:30 pm to midnight.

Ticket holders:  Your party starts at 7:00 pm with two groups of 100 guests each riding trolleys to Biltmore Forest with hour long stops at our three incredible homes.  Trolleys back to your car will start at 10:30 pm or you will have the option of returning to the Sawyer house to party the night away!

Parking: This year guests will park at Asheville High School.  Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before your party starts to ensure enough time to park and load onto the trolleys.

Attire: Asheville Formal… which pretty much means anything goes!  Dress for the 1920’s or today!  From business casual to black tie, have fun with it!

This party would not be possible without our amazing sponsors! It’s not too late to get on board, just email Jamie Moody at [email protected] or sign up through the ticket link above. 

Eblen Charities - Transportation Assistance for Western North Carolina Residents for Job Access: Eblen Charities aims to provide transportation assistance to low-income residents to improve job access and economic mobility. They offer gas vouchers ranging from $25 to $50 to help individuals attend job interviews and medical appointments and cover transportation costs until they receive their first paycheck. The organization plans to expand its transportation assistance program by creating an online portal for voucher requests. With this grant, they aim to serve an additional 200 job seekers, increase the voucher amounts to address rising gas prices and double their program budget.