Calendar of Events
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.
Brighten your walls with with works from Artsville Collective’s upcoming exhibition, “In Living Color: At Home with Paint, Paper and Thread.” Allow these abstract pieces, in varying sizes and mediums, to light up your life. Collectively, the artwork’s tonal range is of blended neutrals and ventures into spring and fall palettes. Suit your design pleasures with pure color or wabi-sabi textural designs in a range of perspectives from three uniquely talented artists: Betsy Meyer, fibers; Karen Stastny, painting, and Michelle Wise, mixed media. Also showing: the Retro pop art of Daryl Slaton, which can be activated on your phone to reveal an animated story. For a softer approach, consider the mixed media art of Louise Glickman using paint, textiles, and natural plant materials.
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| 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.
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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.
Round Up for RiverLink
Shoppers at any Mast General Store during the month of May will be invited to round up the last dollar of their purchase to benefit RiverLink! Those small gifts do add up over a month–often up to $5,000–so if you visit Mast General, please do round up for RiverLink!
Join the Chamber in kicking off GRINDfest 2022 hosted by Black Wall Street AVL!
BLACK WALL STREET AVL, a North Carolina based non-profit organization, is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual GRINDfest – a celebration of local Black business and entrepreneurship. Black Wall Street starts, grows and expands businesses, owners and networks to Honor History and Build Wealth together.
GRINDfest is a free, 4-day festival that celebrates Black Business and entrepreneurship. A block-party style event will take place on 8 River Arts Place! This includes a weekend full of music, games, live performance, food, local vendors + learning, employment and partnership opportunities. The goal of the festival is to highlight the progress made by people of color while also connecting folks in the community. A long weekend of fun and excitement.
The ribbon cutting/kickoff will feature Brian Hamilton, the founder of Brian Hamilton Foundation and its program, Inmates to Entrepreneurs. Come enjoy drinks, snacks and help kickoff this year’s festival.
FESTIVAL DATES: MAY 27-30, 2022
Parking Instructions: Parking is located behind, in front of and across the street from the Black Wall Street AVL Building at 8 River Arts Place.
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 2:45-6pm
K-6th graders.
Does your child enjoy having fun and making new friends? Offering
arts, crafts, special events, homework assistance and more!
Families currently enrolled in the school system’s reduced or free
meal program, please contact your recreation center for discount
fee information.
Locations: Burton, Grant, Montford, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee
Hosted by: The Buddhist Studies Institute
FREE – ONLINE – 30 MINUTES – DAILY
🌺Guided meditation support and community🌺
🌸Stabilization and Liberation:
In order to liberate our minds– we need stable calm.
🌸Consistency & Commitment:
Stabilizing in calm clear presence takes consistent training.
🌸Support & Community:
Daily Meditation is a container and support for your meditation focus.
Expand your meditation circle- join us online any day or every day!
Formerly known as 100 Days of practice to support a Tibetan Yogis tradition to practice 100 days in the winter, this has now been expanded to continue daily. To learn more and register: https://buddhiststudiesinstitute.org/daily-meditation/
Montford Pre-Teen Afterschool Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021 – June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
5th-6th graders.
New program designed to meet the needs of your pre-teen.
Providing time dedicated to school assignments, life skills, arts,
communication, leadership, fitness, nutrition, and loads of fun.
Location: Montford
Teen Leadership Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
6th-9th graders.
Looking for a cool and enriching alternative for your Teen to attend
this school year? We offer creative activities, diverse projects,
field trips, and more.
Locations: Grant, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee
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.
Literacy Together (formerly the Literacy Council of Buncombe County) is a nonprofit organization working with children, youth, and adults to increase comprehensive literacy and English language skills through access to literacy resources and specialized instruction by trained volunteer tutors. Literacy Together relies on volunteer tutors to offer students personal instruction and high-quality materials through various programs.
The Youth Literacy Program is seeking tutors to meet with students K-5 twice a week for 50 minutes, between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm. The Youth Literacy Program works with two after-school programs that primarily serve youth of color. The two locations are in Asheville.
Youth Literacy tutors work with children from low-income families who read, write, and/or spell below their grade level. Tutors in this program complete an initial orientation and a 16-20 hours training, which includes some pre-course work and/or homework (short articles to read, short videos to watch). They then receive follow-up support and the option to attend in-service training throughout their tutoring commitment. Youth Literacy tutors commit to working with their students for at least one school year.
Time Commitment:
- Twice a week for 50-minute sessions between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm.
- Youth Literacy tutors commit to working with their students for at least one school year.
Requirements:
- GED or High School diploma
- Excellent customer service skills
- Ability to work patiently with various levels of literacy skills
- Access to reliable internet
- Ability to navigate virtual meetings with minimal distractions
- Complete a background check
Training:
- Tutors must complete 16-20 hours of training prior to being assigned a student
Join us for a screening of One Pint at a Time in celebration of BIPOC/BIWOC excellence in craft beer during AVL Craft Beer Week/GRINDfest!
Lifting Lucy is honored to invite you to join us for a screening of One Pint at a Time. In celebration of Asheville’s very own GRINDfest and Beer Week, Lifting Lucy is excited to kick off this extraordinary weekend with all of you as we witness the journeys various BIPOC entrepreneurs have embarked upon in craft beer.
Attendees to this ticketed event will also have the distinguished honor of being the first craft beer enthusiasts to taste Lifting Lucy’s collaboration beer Equity Over Everythang! Brewed in partnership with Burial Beer Co., GRIND (Asheville’s first black-owned coffee shop), Lifting Lucy, Resident Culture, and Salud Beer Shop, this Coffee Milk Stout, inspired by the rich legacy of BIPOC/BIWOC entrepreneurship, creativity, and community, is sure to be the perfect beverage to toast to this incredibly important documentary.
Additionally, all attendees to this 21+ event will have a choice of 1 of New Belgium Brewing’s iconic beers on tap.
Following the movie, we will host a brief Q&A session with the movie’s Producers Brigitte and Aaron Hose, the founders of Lifting Lucy, and local entrepreneurs.
We look forward to sharing an evening filled with good company, great beer, and even better conversation with you all! See you there, soon!
Parking Information
Parking for the Brewhouse is extremely limited with construction and being a holiday weekend. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early, carpool, take public transit or ride share.
Cook teams of 4-6 individuals are invited to bring ingredients and prepare meals onsite or bring meals that have been prepared elsewhere. To meet our dietary standards, we ask that each meal provides a meat, vegetable and starch.
Requirements:
- Background Check
- Brief orientation prior to service
- Ability to Multi-Task
- Friendly Demeanor
Health & Safety:
- We are asking volunteers to wear/bring their own face mask if you have not been fully vaccinated
- Temperatures will be checked and a COVID-19 disclosure will be signed at the volunteer entrance
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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.
ABCCM Transformation Village provides up to 100 beds of transitional housing and will provide emergency shelter beds, post Covid-19. Transforming lives is through four developmental phases called Steps to Success including stabilization, life skills, education and reintegration. We are honored to report that 8 out of 10 leave us with a living wage job and permanent housing.
Transformation Village gives hope, healing, health and a home to single women, mothers with children, and female Veterans experiencing homelessness. We provide residents a fresh start and a place to heal surrounded and supported by Christian love, trust, education and companionship.
We are seeking energetic volunteers to prepare and serve meals for our residents for lunch and dinner. This opportunity provides you with the chance to prepare meals in our commercial kitchen alongside our trained staff while serving the women and children of Transformation Village.
Visiting Asheville soon and looking for a fun way to fill your Friday night? The Asheville Drum Circle is a tradition unique to the area. While locals usually begin the beating of drums, tourists are welcome to join, dance, or simply take in the incredible atmosphere at any point.
If you’re looking for things to do in the area during your stay, this is a must! Here’s everything you should know about the Drum Circle.
The Asheville Drum Circle is a free event that’s open to all.
At its core, The Moon and You is a charismatic husband-and-wife team. Melissa Hyman plays cello and bass, Ryan Furstenberg plays guitar and banjo. Whatever you might assume based on their gorgeous vocal blend and heartfelt lyrics, this ain’t your basic folk duo! With a rotating cast of talented friends to add unexpected instrumentation to their lineup, The Moon and You never plays the same show twice. This ever-evolving, expandable / collapsible model means the band is constantly reinventing itself in ways both surprising and satisfying.
Whatever the lineup, the Moon and You sound is always warm and inviting, atmospheric and playful. Both Hyman and Furstenberg are well developed songwriters with distinctive voices. Their songs range in style from classic to quirky. Lyrics-driven and intellectual with a keen ear for arrangement, they make music perfectly suited to a listening room or a pair of good headphones.
Since 2015 The Moon and You has put out two live EPs and four full-length studio albums. These range stylistically from summery rock and roll to dark and brooding, string-heavy arrangements to 2019’s Big Mystery, a sweet and earthy album of lullabies for people of all ages. Their most recent release Asteroids (digital only release, October 2020) really crystalizes their signature blend of sophisticated Americana, wild goofy romps and dreamy, psychedelic soundscapes. Check out their music on the usual streaming platforms, or at themoonandyou.bandcamp.com.
Furstenberg and Hyman are currently at work on a new, collaborative record with their besties in Fwuit! (former members of Moves, which was once a regionally beloved rock band called Holy Ghost Tent Revival), release date TBD. At once excitingly inventive and cozily familiar, the Moon & You never stops pushing the creative envelope and evolving a sound all their own.
Post-Game Fireworks Show Presented By Blue Ridge Power
Dollar Dog Friday
$1 hotdogs served every Friday, thanks to Blossman Gas!
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Veterans Healing Farm (VHF) is excited to announce a benefit
performance of Brothers and Sisters Like These, Friday, May 27, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the
Veterans Healing Farm, 38 Yale Rd., Hendersonville, NC. There is no fee to attend but
donations are welcome.
Brothers and Sisters Like These is a writing group founded by Vietnam combat veterans at the
Charles George VA Medical Center in 2014 to find their voices the war had taken from them. It
has since included veterans from all our wars and uses poetry and essay writing to help them
heal from past trauma.
The Veterans Healing Farm is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2014 to enhance the mental,
emotional, and physical well-being of our nation’s veterans through agri-therapy and
community.
This is an outdoor event so please plan on bringing a lawn chair or blanket to the Farm. For more
information, please contact the VHF at 828-595-6111 or [email protected]
Hailing from the gritty heart of the Industrial Revolution — Worcester, Massachusetts — the Ash & Eric (formerly ‘The Promise is Hope’) find consolation in discovering beauty from the challenges of being artists in the most stubbornly independent cities in the north east. Never shying away from life’s hard edges, their musings reflect the hope and pain we all experience sung in voices as vulnerable and honest as their lyrics. Their songs feel like a warm welcome, a shoulder to lean on and a hand to hold at the end of a long day. In addition to top tier writing that No Depression says will have you “…coming away from many of these [songs] cleansed,” their warm harmonies, swirling acoustic guitars, and easy stage presence have earned them a dedicated following in the folk scene.
Ballet Conservatory of Asheville presents “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”,
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, a frolicking ballet based on Shakespeare’s spriteful play, is set by Ballet Conservatory director Angie Lynn, ballet master Nadia Iozzo and Gavin Larsen after Sir Frederick Ashton’s ballet “The Dream.” Felix Mendelssohn’s prolific score showcases it’s celebrated overture and famed “Wedding March.” Tender, fading melodies and playful rambling riffs capture the imagination of youthful romance.
Ballet Conservatory’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” runs May 27-28 at the Wortham Theatre, with performances Friday at 7pm & Saturday at 3pm & 7pm.
Ballet Conservatory’s Helen Coates and Esme Hair alternate the role of Titania alongside Manuel Mata as Oberon. Sarah Adams dances the role of Helena & Sophie Feinblatt as Hermia, with partners Jonah Bell as Demetrius and Eli Simpson as Lysander. Addie Rockoff and Jillian Epstein alternate as the mischievous fairy, Puck, plus Iris Schreiner as Peasblossom.
Ballet Conservatory’s thirteenth Performance Season includes: “Winter Works: Innovations and Variations”, back in March with guest choreography by Nederlands Dans Theater’s Fay Van Baar; “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, May 27-28; and “The Nutcracker”, performing at Western Carolina University and the Wortham Theatre this December 2022. The Ballet Conservatory offers excellent classical training in its comprehensive Pre-professional program and full schedule of children’s open classes in ballet, modern, jazz & tap. This year BCA students were awarded spots to attend prestigious Summer Intensives, including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, School of American Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. BCA students have been accepted into ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis school in NYC, North Carolina School of the Arts and the top U.S. universities for ballet: Indian University, Oklahoma University, Butler University, Utah University & Cincinnati University; and one just signed a professional contract with Finnish National Ballet.
by William Shakespeare Directed by Mandy Bean Opening 5/6/2022 – 6/4/2022
HART’s Main Stage
Directed by Dominic Michael Aquilino
It’s 1955, and a small dreary town in the midwest is about to get all shook up when a hip swivelin,’ motorcycle ridin,’ guitar playin’ young man rides into town. This energetic musical features the music of the king himself, Elvis Presley, with hits like “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound dog,” “A Little Less Conversation,” “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” and many more! Loosely based on the plot of Twelfth Night, All Shook Up is full of mistaken identities, the magic of romance, and the power of Rock n’ Roll! With a book by Joe DiPietro, who brought you recent hits at HART such as Over the River and Through the Woods and The Last Romance, this musical will kick off our main stage season with all the nostalgia and cheese of your favorite Elvis Movies!
Suitable for all audiences.
The story of the Andrews sisters. This musical follows the Andrews sisters from their early days on the road through their rise as recording stars to entertaining American GI’s overseas. Featuring songs such as “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” This show is guaranteed to knock your socks off.
Forest Bathing with Fireflies
Immerse yourself in the magic of twilight and experience the wonders of nighttime in the Blue Ridge Mountains. From sunset and starry skies to fireflies, we’ll marvel at Mother Nature’s light shows as we explore the forest, hoping to encounter the elusive Blue Ghost Firefly species!
The evening begins with a gentle, guided stroll together through a peaceful forest, ending in an open meadow where we’ll settle in as the sun sets and sparkling fireflies emerge all around us. Though we cannot guarantee a showing, we will also hope to see the elusive Blue Ghost Fireflies and will surely enjoy the forest at twilight.
Unplug in a peaceful, private setting with a series of nature connection invitations led by a certified forest therapy guide. Quiet your mind and awaken your senses as we sink into the heightened awareness of this special evening experience. Together, we’ll deepen our connection with nature, community and ourselves. The best part: there’s no right or wrong way to forest bathe; just bring an open heart, adventurous spirit and be yourself. All is welcome in the forest.
This special offering takes place on private property with group sizes limited to 15 for a more intimate experience. Prefer a more exclusive experience? PRIVATE Firefly Tours are available Sun-Thurs, May 29-June 12 with advanced notice.
Crystal Bowersox, a northwest Ohio native currently calling Nashville home, has built her life around music. Crystal’s love for music developed at an early age from a need to find peace in a chaotic world. Through art and creation, Crystal was able to direct her energy and emotion, finding a way to mend a mind in turmoil. For her, music was always the most effective form of catharsis, and she would play for anyone, anywhere. In her own words, “my guitar was an appendage. I couldn’t live without it.”
Dead set on a career in music, Crystal moved to Chicago as a teenager, where she spent her days performing underground on subway platforms in between working odd jobs. While in the big city, she broadened her musical horizons and shared her talents with a variety of venues, ultimately auditioning for the ninth season of American Idol. Crystal’s time on the show proved to be well spent, as she immediately left the the soundstage for the recording studio. Since her introduction to the world through television, Crystal has released two LP’s, two EPs, and several singles. Additionally, she has used her talents to benefit several causes close to her heart, and has become an advocate and inspiration for people living with Type 1 Diabetes.
However, it is what’s in front of her, not what’s behind her, that will define Crystal’s personal and professional evolution. The accomplished singer-songwriter is set to release a new project – a live album, recorded at the Kitchen Sink Studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico, cleverly titled Alive. Not only is the title a play on words, representing the rawness of the tracks, but it pertains to the place where Crystal currently is in her life. That place is one of joy, fulfillment, and stability for Crystal and her eight year old son, Tony.
To create her newest project, Crystal called on her “chosen family” of musicians. The combination of keeping those she cherishes close to her and taking an honest look at life has resulted in the truest music she has released to date. Crystal has drawn on her various influences — across folk-pop, classic rock, soul, blues and country — to make the kind of music that resonates with her spirit. It is both tender and tough, rough yet polished, and it encompasses many genres without falling neatly into one category. As one of her songwriting partners describes it, Crystal has “a voice like dirt and diamonds.” Her music is intended to bring a positive message of love and light to the world – things that folks will be able to take with them on their own journey, so that they, too, can feel truly alive.
Similar to her beginnings, Crystal intends to make music that has healing power, but at this point, she sees far beyond her own troubles. Her live show is a safe space for concertgoers. Attend a Crystal Bowersox show, and you just might see a grown man cry and a child dance simultaneously. You’ll also likely get the chance to meet her personally; Crystal is typically the first one to arrive and the last one to leave the venue. Meeting with the fans and hearing their personal stories is something Crystal considers a blessing in her life.
By reliving her own painful moments in song, Crystal hopes to transcend that pain, lifting herself and her audience to a higher place. In the opening lines of “A Broken Wing” she sings, “I know there’s beauty in the burden / And even on my darkest day that sun will shine.” Crystal’s story is one of resilience and perseverance, and it’s evident in every note of her latest release, Alive.
“THE GREYBIRDS ARE MUSICIANS FROM ASHEVILLE, NC WITH A FOCUS ON SONGWRITING, AN ENGAGING LIVE SHOW, HARMONY SINGING, & MUSICAL FREEDOM. THE MEMBERS OF THE BAND CONVERGED ON ASHEVILLE AFTER HAVING PLAYED IN BANDS IN NEW YORK, SEATTLE, ATLANTA, VIRGINIA, AND NASHVILLE.
IN A TIME WHEN THE WORLD SEEMS SO TROUBLED, THIS MUSIC & SOUND IS WHAT HELPS LEVEL OUT WHAT’S GOING ON… THE GREYBIRDS HAVE NATURALLY CREATED THIS DYNAMIC SOUND… THERE’S TIMES WHEN MUSICIANS/WRITERS COME TOGETHER AND THE BLEND OF VOICES JUST HARMONIZE IN A WAY THAT IS HAUNTINGLY TRANSFORMING. THINK MANDOLIN ORANGE, THINK EMMYLOU MEETS GRAM, JOHNNY MEETS JUNE, GEORGE MEETS TAMMY, AND SO ON.” — DAVID BOUGHNER – ROADMASTER STAGE PRESENTS, BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC.
You couldn’t get enough the first time, and you’ve been requesting it every year since! Million Dollar Quartet is the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical inspired by the true story of the famed recording session where Sam Phillips, the “Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll” brought together icons Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley for one unforgettable night. Featuring over 20 rock ‘n’ roll hits including: “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Down By the Riverside,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and many more. Don’t miss Nat Zegree returning as Jerry Lee Lewis! Tickets will fly away fast, so don’t miss your chance to see this exceptional musical feast.
“It’s not a regular musical. It’s a Cool Musical.” (Entertainment Weekly)
Direct from Broadway, Mean Girls is the hilarious hit musical from an award-winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey (30 Rock), composer Jeff Richmond (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde), and director Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon).
Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.
New York Magazine cheers, “Mean Girls delivers with immense energy, a wicked sense of humor and joyful inside-jokery.” USA Today says, “We’ll let you in on a little secret, because we’re such good friends: GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!”
Unspoken Tradition is about new, original Bluegrass. Inspired by their own influences and the roots of traditional music, they bring a sound that is both impassioned and nostalgic, hard-driving but sincere. Their 2019 release from Mountain Home Music Company, Myths We Tell Our Young, debuted at #5 on the Billboard Bluegrass charts and has seen 5 top-charting radio singles, including a #1 spot on the Bluegrass Today chart for the single “Dark Side of the Mountain.”
Their material is mostly original and reflects the ever-changing culture of Western and Central North Carolina, where they call home. The band has earned a fervent following in the Southeast, selling out shows in Asheville, NC as well as the legendary Station Inn in Nashville, TN. They have also performed twice on the coveted Watson (main stage) at MerleFest. With heavy airplay on Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction and ever-growing streaming numbers, Unspoken Tradition is a fast-rising voice of a new generation of roots music artists. Their debut recording, Simple Little Town (2013) saw quick success in radio and with tastemakers. Their follow-up release, Miles Between was featured on the nationally syndicated NPR show The World Cafe. Represented by Midwood Entertainment, Unspoken Tradition plays nationwide.
Come enjoy an evening of live music, food and drinks at Isis Music Hall. Advanced Reservations are highly recommended.
Claire Simpson Jones and Donny Luke are the Asheville Gallery of Art’s featured artists for the month of May. Visitors to the gallery will have the entire month to view their outstanding paintings. Their exhibit will run from May 1st-31st.
“This exhibition is a celebration of our individual travels through life,” joyously depicted in the watercolors of Donny Luke and Claire Simpson Jones. Traveling has always played a big part in both Donny and Claire’s world, broadening their awareness and perspective, opening their minds to new experiences, and providing unlimited inspiration.
Both artists have a passion for travel as well as a passion for the challenging, but gratifying, watercolor medium, and this exhibition combines these passions. “There is no better way to immerse yourself into a particular scene than painting. Whether choosing plein-air or painting from travel sketches and references brought back to the studio, all of our senses come to life and that experience is pure joy!” Every painting is an adventure that seems to take on a life of its own, often diverging from the initial design as it develops. Staying open to ‘following’ that direction or literally “going with the flow” of watercolor provides a sense of discovery and adventure that makes the process exciting. Donny and Claire both have a long list of places and techniques they plan to explore in the near future, adding to their repertoire of inspiration and work.
Donny Luke’s travels throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico, have given him many opportunities to take reference photos of some of the most beautiful places and landscapes in North America. He works from these references to create dramatic watercolor paintings. His work also includes many paintings of the breathtaking scenery and architecture in Western North Carolina, especially waterfalls, streams, and old barns.
Donny retired from a thirty-two year career as a professional architect in Asheville, NC and began his watercolor career in 2016. He has studied under nationally known watercolor artists including Michael Reardon, Iain Stewart, Keiko Tenabe, and Antonio Masi. He is a signature member of the Watercolor Society of North Carolina and has had paintings juried into the 2018, 2020, and 2021 WSNC Annual Juried Exhibitions with the 2020 painting ‘Santa Rosalina Relic’ receiving the WSNC Permanent Collection Purchase Award.
Claire Simpson Jones’ sensitive naturalist paintings draw from her many travels, here and abroad, and a lifetime of finding refuge and comfort in the raw beauty of our planet. In the past ten years, she has spent her summers in her favorite destinations’ England, Scotland, Australia, and our beautiful mountains of NC. Equipped with painting supplies, she roams the countryside, setting up to paint whenever inspiration comes her way. “Nature has always fed my soul for as long as I can remember. This connection has been, and continues to be, the primary inspiration for my paintings. I often begin with plein air studies and photos, taking them back to my studio to see where my next painting experience leads me. There is nothing to substitute for painting on location, with all of my senses alive, working quickly to capture the true essence of the scene before me.”
After working in graphic design, illustration, and a long career in teaching high school art, Claire has shifted her focus back to full time painting. She holds a BFA from Florida Atlantic University and has studied art at Ontario College of Art and California College of Art. She has also studied with nationally known watercolor artists including atelier workshops with the world renown watercolorist, Mary Whyte. Claire is a signature member of the Watercolor Society of North Carolina, earning awards, the most recent 2020 Best of Region Award.
Visitors to the Asheville Gallery of Art will be able to view Claire and Donny’s show from May1st through May 31st. They will be present for a special “Meet the Artist” event on First Friday, May 6th, from 5pm-8pm in the gallery at 82 Patton Avenue.