Robert Rauschenberg, John from the Ruminations series, 1999, photogravure on paper, edition 3/46, publisher: Universal Limited Art Editions, Bay Shore, NY, 29 ½ × 38 7/8 inches. Asheville Art Museum. © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation / VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Ruminations on Memory contends with the act of remembrance and reflection, featuring a rare presentation of all nine prints from Robert Rauschenberg’s Ruminations portfolio, Judy Chicago’s Retrospective in a Box portfolio, and selections from the Museum’s Collection. Organized by the Asheville Art Museum and curated by Hilary Schroeder, assistant curator, this exhibition will be on view in Appleby Foundation Exhibition Hall at the Museum from November 19, 2021 through March 14, 2022 in conjunction with A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art. 

Artworks are vessels for processing, recalling, and reflecting on the past. Artists often draw upon materials from their own pasts and grasp at fleeting moments in time in the creation of an object. For the viewer, observation of an artwork can draw out personal memories.

Artworks in a variety of media explore various ways of remembering, including individual memories that focus on the moments from an artist’s past; generational memory that looks back to one’s ancestors, whether recent or long past; and collective memory, wherein in an image might evoke bygone times that balance between constructed and real. Through these artworks that ruminate upon the past, viewers may discover the stirrings of their own thoughts and recollections prompted by the works before them.

Ruminations on Memory offers a unique opportunity to experience the entirety of a major print portfolio by American painter Robert Rauschenberg (Port Arthur, TX 1925–2008 Captiva, FL). Rauschenberg was a student at Black Mountain College in NC for the 1948–1949 and 1951–1952 academic sessions and for the 1951 and 1952 summers. His Ruminations series consists of nine color photogravures which were printed in 1999 and reflect on Rauschenberg’s early life, his friends and family, and the memories he held dear. The series represents especially significant mature work by Rauschenberg that looks back to his most formative moments as an artist including his time at Black Mountain College and the friendships and ideas formed there.

Also presented in the exhibition is an important series of prints by Judy Chicago (born Chicago, IL 1939). Five decades into her career, Chicago stands as one of the foremost artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, having committed to socially minded work, uplifting in particular experiences salient to her feminine and Jewish identities. Retrospective in a Box consists of seven prints and a portfolio created in collaboration with the master printers at Landfall Press, and provides an overview of her major motifs and ideas, including the print Spring the Dinner, a nod to her seminal 1979 work The Dinner Party.

In addition to the artworks from the Museum’s Collection, visitors will be able to experience Felix Gonzales-Torres’s “Untitled” (L.A.), on loan from the Art Bridges collection. “Untitled” (L.A.) is one of the artist’s iconic interactive candy installations where memories are engaged not only through sight but through sound, touch, taste, and smell as well.

Learn more about Ruminations on Memory and A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art at ashevilleart.org.

Artist Walter B. Stephen (Clinton, IA 1875–1961 Asheville, NC) contributed to Western North Carolina’s identity as a flourishing site for pottery production and craftsmanship in the early 20th century. Walter B. Stephen Pottery: Cameo to Crystalline features art pottery and functional vessels from each stage of Stephen’s career, from his origins discovering the medium alongside his mother Nellie C. Randall Stephen in Shelby County, TN from 1901 through 1910 to his multi-decade production just outside of Asheville. This exhibition will be on view in the Asheville Art Museum’s Debra McClinton Gallery July 28, 2021 through January 17, 2022.

In 1926, Stephen founded his third and last pottery studio, Pisgah Forest, in Arden, NC, which he operated until his death in 1961. It was at this studio that the artist perfected the “cameo” decoration technique for which he became best known. His hand-painted images, achieved with layers of white translucent clay, often feature American folk imagery, from covered wagons and livestock to cabins and spinning wheels. A selection of works from the Museum’s Collection showcase his innovation in form and in decorative surface details, including experimentation with crystalline glazing.

Speaker(s): NCDOR

Co-Sponsor(s): Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce

Webinar info will be emailed after registration

The Friends of the Weaverville Library (FOWL) are excited to announce the opening of their used bookstore in Weaverville on Thursday, July 8. Located in the lower level of the Weaverville Library at 41 N. Main St., the store will be open Thursdays 1-5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m.-2 p.m., with expanded hours beginning in September. The store is stocked with thousands of books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, and more. All adult books are priced at $1.50-$3.00, children and teen books at $1.00-$1.50, audio and video at $2.00.

There is also a bargain-priced area and a collection of special finds that are priced individually. Please feel free to contact us at 828-641-1812 or [email protected]. All proceeds from the store will benefit the Weaverville Library.

Start your new holiday tradition with LaZoom! Our top rated Hey Asheville Tour gets an extra dose of holiday cheer for the season. We’ll laugh all the way as the purple bus roams the historical streets of Asheville as you learn new holiday traditions, and meet colorful characters that are sure to bring joy to the world.

Historical and hysterical, The Hey Asheville tour features outrageously entertaining tour guides, outlandish comedy skits complete with special appearances and loads of Asheville information. You’ll get to see the best of downtown Asheville and the rarely seen but stunningly beautiful Montford neighborhood, not to mention the burgeoning River Arts District! You’ve never had a ride like this. It’s like a vaudeville show on wheels!

Find out what makes Asheville so unique on LaZoom’s City Comedy Tour. It’s the perfect mix of history, comedy, and entertainment. Our guides are trained professional actors working with an original script. It’s like a theatre on wheels! The tour highlights downtown Asheville, historic neighborhoods, the South Slope, and the River Arts District.

OAKS Afterschool Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
September 7-December 17, 2021 | Monday-Friday | 2:30-5:30pm
An inclusive recreation program designed to support rising 1st5th graders and their families. OAKS will provide homework
assistance and opportunities to play through a variety of activities
and field trips. Participants will benefit from lower child to
staff ratios, continuation of scholastic goals (as applicable),
and individualized treatment plans (facilitated by LRT/CTRS
and program staff). Participants who cannot meet eligibility
requirements may attend with a 1:1 worker.
Location: Oakley

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

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

Join the Asheville Fit Tribe Group for a 60 minute of strength training. You will get personalized training with the power of the group to positively motivate you. Get ready to get a full body workout in for all fitness levels. So, no matter where you are at from beginner to collegiate athlete Trainer Preston will make sure you get a phenomenal workout. For Strength day we focus on slow controlled weight lifting. Learning how to become more aware of our bodies. We hope you give us a shot and see what we are all about!! For any question shoot Preston a text/call (984)204-0591.

Let’s meet at Dobra Tea (West Asheville location) to enjoy tea, snacks, and each other’s company while chatting about our businesses. I look forward to seeing you in-person for tea! **We will most likely be meeting indoors for this event. If the weather surprises us and it’s a warmer December day, we can meet on the back patio.

Visit the galleries on a scavenger hunt for inspiration, then join us in the studio to create handmade cards! We’ll experiment with stamping, monoprinting, and relief printing. This program is perfect for date-night, me time, or catching up with family and friends.

Please note:

• In accordance with Buncombe County and city directives, a limited number of people can be in the studio at one time. To ensure all participants have time to create, we may ask you to limit your time

Join the Asheville Fit Tribe Group for a 60 minute of strength training. You will get personalized training with the power of the group to positively motivate you. Get ready to get a full body workout in for all fitness levels. So, no matter where you are at from beginner to collegiate athlete Trainer Preston will make sure you get a phenomenal workout. For Strength day we focus on slow controlled weight lifting. Learning how to become more aware of our bodies. We hope you give us a shot and see what we are all about!! For any question shoot Preston a text/call (984)204-0591.

Join instructor Jacqueline along with vocal meditation specialist and sound healer Shana Adams for this collaborative workshop experience.

The two will teach different breathing techniques and the benefits of each, linking them together with an asana to create a gentle flow. Shana will play the pan drum during the yoga portion.

After yoga, Shana will lead participants through a few sound activities for the collective group. She’ll then introduce the chakra bowls, in which Jacqueline will lead a point by point relaxation while Shana plays the chakra bowls, creating a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere to fully unwind and release.

The workshop will end with a 7-10 minute savasana sound bath.

This workshop is $30. If you have a yoga membership, email or DM us for a 10% off discount code!

Free outdoor movies on our giant LED screen are always a hit with all ages.  Rabbit Rabbit is a huge outdoor venue with enough space to accommodate 3000 people, so we have plenty of seats for everyone!

Isaac Hayes first came to prominence not as a performer or an artist in his own right, but as a staggeringly successful in-house songwriter, session player and producer for legendary Memphis-based Stax Records. The list of hit songs by other artists but with an Isaac Hayes writing credit is beyond impressive: “Soul Man,” “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” “B-A-B-Y,” “Wrap it Up,” and more than 30 other charting singles between 1966 and 1970.

So successful was Hayes that Stax gave him a record deal of his own. 1968’s Presenting Isaac Hayes was a commercial dud, but in retrospect, it hinted at Hayes’ future superstar status. Six of his next seven albums hit the #1 spot on the R&B chart (the other made it to #2), and underscoring his wide appeal, all seven of those LPs made it to the Top 20 on the mainstream album chart as well. His 1971 double-LP Shaft soundtrack also claimed #1 spot on the mainstream LP charts.

Among that nearly unprecedented tun of creative and commercial triumphs, Isaac Hayes’ most significant release was the audaciously-titled Black Moses. A double LP released in 1971, just a few months after Shaft), Black Moses was not only an exemplar of the man’s inimitable style, it was an artistic, cultural and sociopolitical statement from a Black man at the peak of his powers.

A renaissance man for the ages, Hayes could do it all. In addition to writing, arranging and producing, he played piano, organ, flute, saxophone, vibraphone and percussion. Though there were many Black artists in the late’ 60s and early ‘70s who deserved creative autonomy, Isaac Hayes was one of relatively few to demand and receive it.

For the latest installment of Citizen Vinyl’s talks, Asheville-based author and music journalist Bill Kopp will be joined by musician/rapper Davaion Bristol (Spaceman Jones) to spin select cuts from the 2LP Black Moses, and to lead a discussion about the music and its place in history. This special evening is an opportunity to peer into a musical window and revel in the creative output of one of the great and influential renaissance men of soul music, and of popular music in general.

👉 Refreshments will be available from Session Bar and Café who will offer the full menu until 9pm

Tickets must be purchased online this year. Your ticket is valid for a one-time use any night of the festival; tickets are not date-specific.

• $10 for personal vehicles (standard cars/vans)
• $25 for sprinter vans, trailblazers, and conversion vans
• $50 for buses and motorcoaches
• 20% of the proceeds benefit Special Olympics Buncombe County

Lake Julian Festival of Lights has become a tradition for many mountain families and visitors. Visitors are invited to watch the lights twinkle over the lake and listen to their favorite seasonal tunes while driving through the magical wonderland.

Lake Julian Festival of Lights takes place nightly from December 1-23 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Please check our Facebook page for information on closings due to winter weather.

Winter Lights returns to the gardens November 19-January 1

Tickets are now sold PER VEHICLE, not per person.

We are thrilled to announce that the 2021 Winter Lights holiday event will welcome members and guests back into the gardens as it returns to the traditional outdoor walk-through open-air show format. The famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden will be back, outfitted with new designs in lights, while throughout the gardens, popular arrangements will mingle with ones never seen before.

You can find everything you need to know about Asheville’s Brightest Holiday Tradition at the tabs above, and be sure to secure your tickets now.

We hope you will join us this holiday season!

Winter Lights is the Arboretum’s largest annual fundraiser, and supports many parts of its mission driven programming.

Join the Asheville Fit Tribe Group for a 60 minute of strength training. You will get personalized training with the power of the group to positively motivate you. Get ready to get a full body workout in for all fitness levels. So, no matter where you are at from beginner to collegiate athlete Trainer Preston will make sure you get a phenomenal workout. For Strength day we focus on slow controlled weight lifting. Learning how to become more aware of our bodies. We hope you give us a shot and see what we are all about!! For any question shoot Preston a text/call (984)204-0591.

Decorate a dozen of your own take-home dog treats just in time for the holidays with Jackie from 3 Eggs Cakery of Asheville! Jackie will lead you through the decorating process to ensure you create some adorable treats for your pups.

This event will be in the bar. You’re welcome to bring your pups along to hangout and play while you decorate!

The WNC Historical Association presented the first Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award to Wilma Dykeman in 1955 for The French Broad. Last year’s winner was Dr. Sandra Muse Isaacs for her work, Eastern Cherokee Stories: A Living Oral Tradition and Its Cultural Continuance. Other authors who have received the award include Charles Frazier, Robert Morgan, John Parris, Gail Godwin, John Ehle, Robert Brunk, Michael McFee, Lee Smith, Ron Rash, Wiley Cash, Wayne Caldwell, Fiona Ritchie, and Doug Orr.

A prize of $2,500.00 accompanies the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award and will be virtually presented to the author on Thursday, December 9 at 6:30pm during a live Zoom event that will include readings by the finalists. Please reserve this date.

The Award Panel this year consists of: Catherine Frank, Chair, Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville; Daniel Clare, English Department, A.C. Reynolds High School; Dee James, professor emeritus, UNC-Asheville; Leslee Johnson, English Department, UNC-Asheville; Tom Muir, Historic Site Manager, Thomas Wolfe Memorial; Gordon McKinney, professor emeritus, Berea College; Terry Roberts, Director, National Paideia Center; and Jim Stokely, President, Wilma Dykeman Legacy.

This year’s finalists were chosen from an original group of 40 nominations. The finalists, listed below, encompass a broad range of genres and forms.

Mary Othella Burnette

Lige of the Black Walnut Tree: Growing Up Black in Southern Appalachia

Wayne Caldwell

Woodsmoke

Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

Even As We Breath: A Novel

Vicki Lane

And the Crows Took Their Eyes

Matthew Wimberley
All the Great Territories

I just moved to Asheville in June. I’d like to meet and create community with people who are curious, like to laugh, value inner growth and are good-hearted. Come with your different opinions, unique sharing and stories. For each gathering they’ll be a short intro for people and a different topic of discussion. Topic would include, an event that changed my life,” a book, movie or play that altered you, or tell us something you imagine will be entirely new to us…like “how a singer interprets a song.” Any suggestions for future topic would be welcome.

This will be a virtual event on Zoom. I will send you a link for the meetup a few days prior to the meeting.
***What to expect:
A safe and positive space to meet interesting people and comfortably share interests, joys, and challenges.
***Agenda:
Each member introduces themselves in 2 minutes. A topic to share will be suggested (if the group is larger than 10, breakout rooms will be created). All members will return to the main forum after 10 minutes in smaller groups and have the option to share their thoughts from the breakout room or just hang back and listen or ask questions.

Get dinner and drinks while you laugh the night away to some of the areas’ best Standup comics, in a ridiculously fun environment!! For more info contact Michele Scheve at [email protected].

• FACE COVERINGS REQUIRED ONBOARD AT ALL TIMES.

  Highlights

  • Hop on board the Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley for a fun and festive celebration of the season featuring the sights and sounds of the holidays!
  • This seasonal favorite features an entertaining blend of holiday storytelling and traditional Christmas caroling.  Enjoy stories of local lore and holiday traditions, then join-in with our on-board musician singing classic carols and songs of Christmas. And all the while the Holly Jolly Trolley is rolling past festive holiday decorations in downtown Asheville, Biltmore Village and the Montford and Grove Park neighborhoods.
  • This has all the makings of a jolly good family tradition!

  Good to Know

  • Haven’t been caroling in a while?  Not to worry! Songbooks will be provided for use during the tour.
  • Please note, you will see Christmas lights on this tour, however, it is not a “lights tour.” Caroling and storytelling take center stage on the Holly Jolly Trolley.
  • Trolleys are heated and enclosed with clear vinyl roll-down curtains.

  Exclusions

   

  • Gratuities