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.
Tuesday, May
28, 2024
The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant
The Arts for Schools Grant
The Disney Cruise Raffle
Tools to Support Liberation
WILD Excursions is a FREE summer field trip program: registration open
XP League Summer Camps
YWCA Racial Justice Challenge
New Park Pavilion Reservation Software
Less Plastic Asheville Challenge
NC Arboretum Hiking Trails
ON EXHIBIT—- Bugs: Outside the Box
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Summer Splash Water Days
“Nurtured by Nature” Art Exhibition
Art Exhibition: Hammer and Hope
Fee Free Days
Preservers, Innovators, and Rescuers of Culture in Chiapas
Sand Hill Nursery Workday
Art Exhibit: Dusk till Dawn
Empower Hour Tour
Guided Trail Walk
Rhododendron Ramble
ONEmic Open Studio Hours with Paul
Parents Lounge
LEAF Instrument Petting Zoo
THANK YOU NIGHT service industry friends
Baby Story Time
LEAF Lights Junior Class with Melissa
Wills + Power of Attorney Writing Workshop
Art Bar Craft
Keeping the future of agriculture bright
Each year, AgSouth Farm Credit supports non-profit organizations and farmers markets with grants of up to $5,000 to help in their endeavors and to further the future of agriculture in our region of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Grant Mission & Objectives
The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant’s mission is to build strong partnerships and alliances, leveraging the resources within our grant program to preserve and promote the farmer, the family, and our communities. The grant has three main objectives:
- Invest in the future of agriculture.
- Enhance and impact the quality of life in the AgSouth territory.
- Be recognized as a leading corporate citizen in the AgSouth territory.
Applications
The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant operates on an application-based grant system. Grants will be awarded for up to $5,000 per organization per year. To be considered for funding, organizations’ values and purpose must align with the grant program’s mission. Applications must be submitted online. You will be asked to attach a copy of your organization’s W9 to the application prior to submission. Incomplete applications cannot be accepted. Please make sure you complete all fields prior to submission.
Project Guidance
As part of the application, organizations must submit a project the grant will help fund. Examples of previously funded projects include but are not limited to:
• Providing farmers market programming for children
• Purchasing fans for a livestock arena to help cool the animals
• Developing a comprehensive chick hatching program to give tools and resources to those wanting to raise backyard flocks
• Opening a demonstration farm in conjunction with a local school district
• Purchasing grain bin rescue equipment for fire and rescue teams
• Funding a bee-keeping education program for vulnerable youths
• Purchasing an irrigation system at a local Farmers Market
• Expanding a local church garden space and adding fencing
• Hosting an annual agricultural event
• Purchasing a cargo trailer to transport livestock equipment
• Building a school greenhouse
Eligibility Considerations
Grants will be considered for programs only in the 147 counties and geographic areas where AgSouth Farm Credit conducts business. Grants will only be awarded to non-profit organizations and farmers markets and will not be awarded to individuals or private farms.
Funding Cycle
Grant applications will be accepted from April 1 to June 30th, 2024. Proposals will be reviewed and grants will be awarded in Nov-Dec of 2024. Funds awarded maybe utilized by recipients during the 2025 calendar year.
Application Deadline
The 2025 Grant Application period is now open. Applications can be received from April 1 to June 30th, 2024.
The Arts for Schools Grant supports nonprofit arts organizations and qualified teaching artists in Buncombe County, enabling them to provide arts-focused performances, residencies, workshops, and field trips for students in K-12 public schools. Through 2027, grants will also support arts-focused afterschool programs and camps thanks to an investment from Dogwood Health Trust, which awarded $15 million in multi-year funding grants to support organizations across the region providing high-quality, evidence-based out-of-school-time (OST) programs that have a high impact on young people. Grants for in-school programs range from $500-$2,000, and grants for out-of-school programs (including afterschool and camps) range from $500-$5,000. The application cycle opens May 13 and closes June 17.
Here’s your chance! Asheville Community Theatre is thrilled to offer you the opportunity to win a magical 4-day Disney Cruise for four. By purchasing a raffle ticket, not only do you get a shot at an unforgettable family vacation, but you also support the arts in our community.
Prize Details:
- A Dream Cruise: The winner and three guests will embark on a 4-day journey to the Bahamas aboard a Disney Cruise ship. You’ll stay in a Veranda Cabin with breathtaking views and top-notch amenities.
- Customized Experience: Work with our travel agent, David Lloyd of Foothills Travel, to tailor your trip to perfection. Whether it’s exciting onboard activities or exploring the ports, your adventure will be exactly what you’ve dreamed of.
- Travel Support: We’ve got you covered with an additional $500 to help with transportation to and from Port Canaveral, ensuring a smooth start and end to your magical journey.
- Complete Assistance: From the moment you win to the end of your cruise, you’ll have personalized support to ensure your trip is seamless and unforgettable.
- Tickets are just $50 each, making this the perfect opportunity to potentially win a trip valued at $8,800, while supporting Asheville Community Theatre’s mission to enrich our community through the arts.
Don’t miss out on this chance to create lasting memories with your loved ones. Get your tickets now!
Click here to view the complete set of rules.
Liberation Tools is a cooperative subset of the 501c3 nonprofit Soul & Soil Project based in the unceded Tsalagi (Cherokee) territory of Western North Carolina.
Our mission is to build a collective that sustainably and skillfully crafts quality tools used for growing food, and freely distributes them to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. To support these efforts, we sell these tools for twice the cost of producing one, thereby allowing people with accumulated wealth to access high quality tools by also paying for an identical tool to be sent to a BIPOC land steward.
Are your kids ready to explore the outdoors this summer? WILD Excursions is a FREE summer field trip program for rising 7th-12th grade students where they get to hike, learn about and meet animals, and even camp out overnight.
Join Buncombe County Soil & water for this amazing experience to investigate and connect with nature.
To register and for more information, contact Buncombe County Soil & Water Environmental Educators Rose Wall and Jen Knight at [email protected].
2024 WILD Excursions Summer Schedule
July 12 – Lake Powhatan – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
In this hiking adventure, we will focus on water quality in Lake Powhatan and the surrounding streams using the same chemical testing & macroinvertebrate sampling techniques used by scientists.
Bring: Lunch, water bottle, and closed-toed shoes.
July 26 – Balsam Mountain Trust Nature Center – 9:45 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
This experience has a little bit of everything. We’ll hike, stream stomp, do community science, and meet the nature center’s animal ambassadors. We know you’ll love the birds of prey and possum!
Bring: Lunch, water bottle, and closed-toed shoes.
August 16-17 – Camp Out at Purchase Knob (rising 9th-12th only) – Friday 1 p.m. – Saturday 12:30 p.m.
Join us at the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center for an overnight camping adventure. NPS educators will lead us in doing community science for ongoing research projects. We’ll have plenty of time to explore, relax and reflect. Great for beginner campers.
XP League Camps are designed to engage kids at many different levels. Not only do kids get to meet new friends and improve their skills in the games they love to play, but they will learn about teamwork, communications, sportsmanship, esports health, nutrition, esports psychology, stretching and exercise, mindset and motivation, boosting focus, and so much more.
Led by trained coaches and staff
Designed with on-screen and off-screen activities that focus on teamwork, communication, problem solving, leadership, and critical thinking
Open to all gamers regardless of skill level
Open to gamers ages 7 to 17
CHOOSE XP LEAGUE
WE BUILD CHARACTER, NOT AVATARS.
XP League’s professional coaches teach important skills such as sportsmanship and strategic thinking. Our gamer athletes experience all the benefits of being a part of a youth sports team. XP League is the first esports program to partner with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) to ensure that our coaches set the highest standard for competitive youth gaming.
ALL ABILITIES WELCOME
Our programs are designed to fit athletes at all levels. From recreational players to advanced competitive teams, all athletes receive the positive influence and guidance of our experienced coaches.
DOUBLE-GOAL CERTIFIED COACHES
Our coaches aren’t just focused on winning. They want their teams to learn important life lessons as well. Our partnership with PCA, and XP League’s proprietary coach training certification process, equip our coaches with the tools to coach better play while being positive role models for our athletes.
PLAY LIKE THE PROS
All our programs include pro-level game training on professional equipment. We’re the real deal even down to our jerseys.
ACCOUNTABLE, NOT ANONYMOUS
Our athletes are coached to respect the rules and their fellow players. Forget about that anonymous player hiding behind their avatar. We compete hard AND compete fair.
THE HOTTEST GAMES. EPIC EXPERIENCES.
OUR CAMPS
ESPORTS ENTRPRENEUR: RUN YOUR OWN ESPORTS EVENT
Run your own esports event from plan to production and learn how to organize brackets, plan events, create marketing materials, and stream!
MINECRAFT REDSTONE ENGINEERING
Learn how redstone works in Minecraft and how it connects to electrical engineering in real life by building devices!
GAME DESIGN WITH FORTNITE CREATIVE
Learn game design concepts like collision, functions, and conditionals by building games using Fortnite’s Creative mode.
CONTENT CREATION FOR YOUTUBE & TWITCH
Learn how to record and edit video, create your own stream overlays, and learn how to write a script to turn your awesome video ideas into reality!
ESPORTS BOOTCAMP: BETTER PLAYER, BETTER PERSON
Learn the psychology behind rapid improvement and growth while gaining confidence in your skills in your favorite game.
DATES
JUNE 17-21 = Esports Bootcamp: Better Player, Better Person (Featuring Fortnite)*
JULY 8-12 = Esports Entrepreneur: Run your own Esports Event*
JULY 15-19 = Esports Bootcamp: Better Player, Better Person (Featuring Rocket League)*
JULY 22-26 = Game Design with Fortnite Creative*
AUGUST 5-9 = Content Creation for YouTube & Twitch*
AUGUST 12-16 = Esports Bootcamp: Better Player, Better Person (Featuring Fortnite)*
AUGUST 19-23 = Minecraft Redstone Engineering*
*SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO DEMAND
$199 for 5 days of a HALF-DAY morning camp: 8am-12pm
$199 for 5 days of a HALF-DAY afternoon camp: 12:00pm-4:00pm
$349 for 5 days of a FULL-DAY camp – save $50! 8am-4:00pm, bring their own lunch!
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Buncombe County Parks & Recreation is announcing the launch of its new online reservation system for park pavilions.
ACTIVENet, the new online reservation system, allows for a hassle-free user experience for Buncombe County park visitors. With just a few clicks, visitors can make and cancel reservations from the comfort of their home, in addition to checking real-time availability of the pavilions. Park pavilions are located at Lake Jullian, Charles D. Owen, and the Buncombe County Sports Park. Field rental is also available through this new portal.
Key takeaways of the new reservation system include:
Seamless Interface: The user-friendly layout of the reservation system allows for hassle-free bookings and cancelations.
Real-time Park Pavilion Availability: Users are able to check the availability of the park pavilions at their favorite park, and on their preferred date and time.
Secure Payment: ACTIVENet’s secure payment portal ensures data protection and encryption with Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant technology.
Email confirmations: Once a reservation is made or canceled, users will receive a confirmation email with the details of their booking.
Click here to view a tutorial on how to book a park pavilion.
To access the new park pavilion reservation system, please visit www.buncombecounty.org/parks. There is a “Reserve & Register” button that will take users directly to the reservation portal. Please note that users must create an account prior to booking a park pavilion. For any inquiries or additional information, please contact [email protected] or call (828) 250-4260.
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This City of Asheville is launching the Less Plastic Asheville Challenge to encourage residents to reduce their consumption of single-use plastics. The campaign has two key features, a social media challenge called Less Plastic Bingo and a Pass on Plastic Pledge. The City will provide information on the impacts of single-use plastic on our community and tips for how our residents can understand and reduce their consumption of single-use plastics at tabling events around town and on our social media platforms. Those participating in the social media challenge can post photos and videos of themselves taking action to reduce single-use plastic consumption. Those who take the pledge will make commitments to sustainable lifestyle choices such as using reusable grocery bags and refusing single-use plastics. Residents who participate in either the Less Plastic Bingo Challenge or Pass on Plastic Pledge will win great prizes! The Less Plastic Asheville Challenge will begin in February 14, 2024 and end May 31, 2024. Follow the link at the top of the page to learn more about how you can participate and win these great sustainable items.
BackgroundIn October 2022, Asheville City Council directed the Sustainability Department to take a phased approach to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic. The first phase included an update to Chapter 15 of the City Code to prohibit the use of plastic bags in curbside brush and leaf collection. This ordinance change was approved by City Council on January 10, 2023 and was implemented August 1, 2023. For more information about this change and resources available check out this sanitation webpage. The second phase included further analysis and stakeholder engagement with area businesses, residents and city staff to inform a recommendation on additional single-use plastic reduction strategies surrounding plastic bags at point of sale and expanded polystyrene (StyrofoamTM) disposable foodware products. To see the results of this engagement read this blog post. On September 22, 2023 the North Carolina General Assembly approved the state budget that included a law prohibiting local governments from banning single-use plastic products. Due to this regulation, the City cannot adopt an ordinance banning plastic bags or expanded polystyrene (StyrofoamTM) takeout containers. Instead, the City is providing information and resources to residents and businesses to reduce single-use plastic consumption voluntarily through the Less Plastic Asheville Challenge. For more information on the previous plastic-reduction projects go to this webpage.
Less Plastic Asheville ChallengeTo reduce single-use plastic consumption and litter in our community it will take all of us! We invite you to join us, have a little fun and earn some prizes in the process! There are two ways to participate in the Less Plastic Asheville Challenge. You can take the Pass on Plastic Pledge and/or play Less Plastic Asheville Bingo. The pledge asks for you to commit to changes in your life to reduce your own plastic footprint, and the Bingo Challenge asks you to spread the word and help educate and inspire others about the issue through social media. The Pass on Plastic PledgeThe Pass on Plastic Pledge asks you to look at your own habits regarding single-use plastics and commit to practices that cut down your consumption, simple acts that improve our community and the environment. By taking this pledge, you are taking the charge to reduce your own plastic consumption. You can do this in a number of ways and the City of Asheville is here to inspire, support and cheer you on! When you commit to any one of the sustainable practices in the pledge, you will win plastic reducing prizes from the City. Your actions alone can reduce hundreds of pounds of plastic waste every year! By taking this pledge, you are showing that you care about the health, cleanliness, and pristine environment of our home in Asheville. It’s a big deal, and the City of Asheville thanks you. Take the Pass on Plastic Pledge
Less Plastic Asheville BingoThis bingo game is a social media challenge. It’s a fun way for you to help spread the word about single-use plastics, and to inspire the people around you to make changes and support sustainable businesses and habits. When you sign up, you will be emailed a bingo card. Once you have your card, follow the steps below in order to earn your swag.
Sign up below to receive your Less Plastic Bingo Card. |
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Located within the wildly-popular and botanically beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum offers more than 10 miles of hiking trails that connect to many other area attractions such as Lake Powhatan, the Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors of all ages and abilities can enjoy their hiking experience at the Arboretum as trail options include easy, moderate, and difficult challenge levels. All trails are dog-friendly and visitors are asked to adhere to the proper waste disposing procedures for pets.
Part of a running group that would like to use the Arboretum as a starting point or parking location? Please review our Running Group Guidance and email [email protected] with any questions.
Baker Exhibit Center
Where can you see a butterfly with a five foot wingspan, or a longhorn beetle with antennae more than twelve feet across? The answers can be found amongst the enormous sculptures on display in BUGS: Outside the Box!
Scientifically exact, with a keen attention to detail, the exhibit features a virtual army of giant bugs with one aim in mind – educating the public and shining a light on museum collections, taxonomy, and the power of magnification.
Among the highlights of the exhibit is a rarely seen long-arm beetle more than ten feet in height, a collection of heavily armored stag beetles with impressive jaws and horns as long as your arm, and an insight into the amazing intricacy of the physiology of each insect on display. Alongside these impressive works of art is the insect in question represented at life size, and detailed information on the life habits, location, and other facts unique to each insect and its family.
Bugs Outside the Box is supported in part by Camilla Calnan Photography, Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty, The Laurel of Asheville, RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide, Smoky Mountain Living Magazine, and The North Carolina Arboretum Society.
What is Bonsai?
Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.
What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.
The Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
- Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
- Garden Open Year Round
- Parking Fees
- Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
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Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
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Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
- Members: Free
Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.
Splasheville
Splasheville is located in Pack Square Park on 80 Court Plaza. The free splash pad’s regular daily hours are 9.m-8:30pm, but may close for special events or during inclement weather. Check the calendar for scheduled closures.
The Village Potters Clay Center (TVPCC), announces the opening of “Nurtured by Nature”, a special exhibit featuring new works by each of the six resident potters of TVPCC.
When you have six wildly talented, skilled, and creative artists working together, it can be a challenge to pick a singular theme for a show. But it didn’t take long before the resident potters at TVPCC realized that they each had a connection to nature, and it expressed itself in different ways in their lives and work.
Sarah Wells Rolland grew up in Florida near the water and life that grew in and around it. For this exhibit, she has created singular pieces using broad strokes through slip to emulate Water Grass, and her deliciously beautiful glazes invite you to touch. You can almost feel a soft Florida breeze!
Judi Harwood has her work already rooted deeply in nature, using corn husks, bamboo leaves, and other organic materials in her sagger fired vessels. On a recent trip to the beach, she noticed an amazing pattern in the sand from the ebb and flow of the tide dragging shells across the sand. She knew instantly that she needed to carve a similar design in her pieces for Raku and other alternate firing processes, and you will find those pieces in this exhibit.
Caroline Renée Woolard has always had a deep love for nature, in particular the forest and the element of water and the rhythm of waves. You will find these things in the movement of her slip application, and in her carved mushrooms that invite a child-like sense of wonder and joy.
Katie Meili Messersmith is a self-proclaimed math nerd, and she loves the beauty of sequencing and patterning that she achieves in her slip dot applications on her pots. She also sees this beauty of math sequencing in nature, like in the petals of flowers, and has explored this in her work in a stunning series of bowls.
Julia Mann’s work has always been inspired by her love of nature and love of season, as well as her love of women and love of Goddess. Venus of Willendorf remains a guiding influence on her work more than twenty years after carving her first form. Julia has created new Venus pieces as well as pieces inscribed with other symbols of nature that inspire her, from spider webs to trees and mountains.
Lori Theriault grew up on the edge of the woods in central Vermont, and spent many afternoons hiking in the trees, touching each bark to feel what she saw. She also spent many nights star gazing with her father, waiting for an Apollo rocket to fly overhead. Lori represents her love of trees and flowers in functional work with her wax resist designs, and she is exploring more sculptural work in her “Vincent Series” that celebrates her love of a star-filled sky and her love and admiration for Van Gogh’s impasto technique in ‘Starry Night’.
Nurtured by Nature will be on exhibit through the end of June at The Village Potters Clay Center. The gallery is open daily, 10am-5pm.
The Village Potters are Sarah Wells Rolland, Judi Harwood, Lori Theriault, Julia Mann, Katie Meili Messersmith, and Caroline Renée Woolard, along with Director of Operations, Keira Peterson. They comprise an intentional Collective of potters who share a commitment to nurture creative exploration through education, experience, and community. The Village Potters includes a fine craft gallery, a Teaching Center offering ongoing classes in wheel, hand building, and sculpture for adults, an Advanced Ceramic Studies Program, and online demonstrations and workshops. The Village Potters Clay Center is an educational member of The Craft Guild of the Southern Highlands, and is an official distributor for Laguna Clays.
Historians estimate that skilled Black artisans outnumbered their white counterparts in the antebellum South by a margin of five to one. However, despite their presence and prevalence in all corners of the pre-industrial trade and craft fields, the stories of these skilled workers go largely unacknowledged.
Borrowing its title from a Black culture and politics magazine of the same name, Hammer and Hope celebrates the life and labor of Black chairmakers in early America. Featuring the work of two contemporary furniture makers – Robell Awake and Charlie Ryland – the pieces in this exhibition are based on the artists’ research into ladderback chairs created by the Poynors, a multigenerational family of free and enslaved craftspeople working in central Tennessee between the early nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Through the objects featured in Hammer and Hope, Awake and Ryland explore, reinterpret, and reimagine what the field of furniture-making today would look like had the history and legacy of the Poynors – and countless others that have been subject to a similar pattern of erasure – been celebrated rather than hidden. Hammer and Hope represents Awake and Ryland’s attempts, in their own words, “at fighting erasure by making objects that engage with these long-suppressed stories.”
Robell Awake and Charlie Ryland are recipients of the Center for Craft’s 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship. This substantial mid-career grant is awarded to two artists to support research projects that advance, expand, and support the creation of new research and knowledge through craft practice.
Join us at the Cradle of Forestry the Fourth Tuesday of every month throughout the 2024 season for Fee Free Days. Admission is FREE for everyone!
Join us at the Cradle of Forestry the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout the 2024 season with FREE admission for all!
Walk the paved trails, pack a picnic lunch for your friends and family, explore the Discovery Center and make it a fun filled day at the Cradle deep in the heart of Pisgah National Forest.
SCHEDULE
10:00 am to 5:00 pm
WHAT TO BRING
Comfortable Walking Shoes
Water Bottle
Jacket/Rain Gear
Camera
Preservers, Innovators, and Rescuers of Culture in Chiapas features eleven textiles by acclaimed Indigenous artisanas (artists) from Chiapas, Mexico commissioned by US-based fiber artists and activist Aram Han Sifuentes. As part of their 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship, Han Sifuentes traveled to Chiapas to understand the function of garments and textiles within the social and cultural context of the area and to learn the traditional practice of backstrap weaving. Through the works on view, combined with a series of interviews Han Sifuentes conducted during her research, visitors learn about the artisanas and their role as preservers, rescuers, and innovators of culture and as protectors of Mayan ancestral knowledge. Together, these works present an approach to connecting and learning about culture through craft practices.
Han Sifuentes is interested in backstrap weaving because it is one of the oldest forms used across cultures. The vibrant hues and elaborate designs of each textile express the artisanas identities and medium to tell their stories. To understand how these values manifested in textiles made in Chiapas, Han Sifuentes invited the artisanas to create whatever weaving they desired over the course of three months. This is unique because most textiles in the area are created to meet tourist-driven and marketplace demands. Incorporating traditional backstrap weaving and natural dye techniques, some artisans created textiles to rescue or reintroduce weaving practices that are almost or completely lost in their communities, while others were created through material and conceptual experimentation. This range of approaches reflects how artistanas are constantly innovating while at the same time honoring and keeping to tradition.
Preservers, Innovators, and Rescuers of Culture in Chiapas is on view from November 17, 2023 to July 13, 2024.
Aram Han Sifuentes is a recipient of the Center for Craft’s 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship. This substantial mid-career grant is awarded to two artists to support research projects that advance, expand, and support the creation of new research and knowledge through craft practice.
The featured artisanas include: Juana Victoria Hernandez Gomez from San Juan Cancuc, Maria Josefina Gómez Sanchez and Maria de Jesus Gómez Sanchez from Oxchujk (Oxchuc), Marcela Gómez Diaz and Cecilia Gómez Diaz from San Andrés Larráinzar, Rosa Margarita Enríquez Bolóm from Huixtán, Cristina García Pérez from Chalchihuitán, Susana Maria Gómez Gonzalez, Maria Gonzalez Guillén, and Anastacia Juana Gómez Gonzalez from Zinacantán, Angelica Leticia Gómez Santiz from Pantelhó, and Susana Guadalupe Méndez Santiz from Aldama
Join us for weekly workdays in the Sand Hill native tree nursery. Tasks vary and often include repotting, weeding, mulching, and other special projects to improve infrastructure and function.
Need to know
Please come dressed in work clothes with close toed shoes. Bring water and sun protection. All other gear and supplies are provided.
May 3 – June 26, 2024 MON – SAT 11 – 6SUN 11 – 5
Artists: Caleb Clark, Bryant Holsenbeck, Bill Killebrew, Inigo Navarro, Isaac Payne, Amy Putansu, Daniel Robbins, Peggy Root, and Deborah Squier.
This group exhibition features paintings, collages, and sculptures that embody the alluring ambiance between sunrise and sunset. Plein air paintings capture the scattered, sleepy light of Dawn; Collaged drawings depict sidewalks blanketed by moonlight; Mixed-media sculptures portray nocturnal animals. Each artist reminds us of the recurrent and striking period of time when the atmosphere is neither totally dark, nor completely lit.
Experience the YWCA’s work firsthand through a tour of our building including stories that highlight how we are engaging nearly 3,000 community members annually in programs that advance racial justice, empower women, promote health, and nurture children.
After your Empower Hour Tour, we hope you will be informed, inspired, and ready to get involved!
Empower Hour takes place several times each month. Tours include a light vegetarian lunch. Below are the dates, times, and information on how to join upcoming tours open to the public. We look forward to connecting with you!
Upcoming Public Empower Hour Tours: All are from 12:00-1:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
If you are interested in joining a future Empower Hour Tour, please contact: [email protected] or call 828-254-7206 x 227
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.
Take a daily, short, guided stroll at 1 PM that highlights Grandfather Mountain’s rhododendron species and blooms. Included with admission. See the blooms and learn about their history, attributes and roles they play in the mountain’s ecological communities. The easygoing walks take approximately 20 minutes and are fit for guests of all ages – wheelchair and stroller accessible. Meet by the Pollinator Garden at the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery. Staff naturalists will also have a display inside Wilson Center. Read more about our species of rhododendron.
Join us in LEAF’s ONEmic Studio generously supported by the Ben Gradison Memorial Fund, which was created to carry on Ben’s mission of connecting cultures and building community through recording studios both locally and globally.
Internationally, the Ben Gradison Memorial Fund has been an integral support for setting up ONEmic studios in Haiti and Costa Rica, in conjunction with LEAF International.
Through LEAF’s partnership with Asheville Parks and Recreation, the ONEmic Studio continues to fulll Ben’s mission of creating opportunities for local youth to nd their voice through music and the arts.
In honor of Ben Gradison (1984-2012)
Teaching Artist
Ben Gradison Memorial Fund
To help us in carrying on Ben’s dreams and dedication, please make donations to:
LEAF Schools & Streets
c/o Ben Gradison Memorial Fund
LEAF isn’t just for kids! Join us in the Mezzanine while you wait for your youth to finish their class or just to hang out!
What is sound? How does a person hear and listen to music? Why is it one of the most powerful expressions of humanity? All that exists creates sound. The tiniest elements of everything on this planet move, vibrate, and therefore create resonance or sound. This powerful force has the ability to heal and create or confuse and destroy. Once we understand what sound truly is, we have the ability to influence our consciousness, as well as our environment. Imagine a space where people of all ages can explore sound, view and play with instruments from around the world, and experience through music the commonalties of cultures. Music influences our social, emotional, cognitive, physical, spiritual, and creative selves. People will be able to understand the science behind how they listen and enjoy discovering about brainwave states and how sound effects the mechanics and of the body. That’s exactly what you can do in the LEAF Instrument Petting Zoo!
Join us every Tuesday for some sweet sweet deals as a way for us to thank you and all of our fellow service industry friends!
Join us for a lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months.
LEAF Lights Junior Class with Melissa
LEAF Lights Music Class – This class is for young musicians who have the desire to perform regularly while sharing the LEAF Global mission to connect cultures and create community through music, education, and experiences.
NOTE: This class is full, but you can inquire about waiting list or new class.
While participating in the Lights program, students can develop their songwriting, performing, and musicianship skills while exploring music from around the world. They will have extensive performance opportunities with a focus on music that inspires, uplifts, and spreads a music of unity and hope. Students will record their music in the One Mic studio and learn about the music industry and explore topics such as audio engineering, stage presence, graphic design, videography, website development and more while learning to use their music to be a force for change. Advanced students will have the opportunity to work towards touring locally and regionally with the Lights concert tour. They will also have the opportunity to regularly interact with and learn from LEAF resident artists. Students will be exposed to music from a diverse range of genres and cultures. Students will have the opportunity to see how music connects us on a deep level and how it can create joy, bring people together, and instigate change. LEAF lights will lift young leaders and give them a platform to make a difference in the lives of others.
Make sure important documents are up to date with this free info session that will address heir property, wills and advance directives. Learn what heir property is and how it can affect your property rights. Individual one-on-one appointments with an attorney are available for general questions and legal forms will be provided for participants to complete on their own.
This workshop is present free of charge by Legal Aid of North Carolina and Buncombe County Public Libraries. No registration is required.
Come on in and enjoy a step-by-step craft at our Easel Rider inspired Art Bar!