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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.
Exhibition and Public Programming
Vera B. Williams, an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books, started making pictures almost as soon as she could walk. She studied at Black Mountain College in a time where summer institutes were held with classes taught by John Cage and Merce Cunningham. Williams studied under the Bauhaus luminary Josef Albers and went on to make art for the rest of her life. At the time of her death, The New York Times wrote: “Her illustrations, known for bold colors and a style reminiscent of folk art, were praised by reviewers for their great tenderness and crackling vitality.” Despite numerous awards and recognition for her children’s books, much of her wider life and work remains unexplored. This retrospective will showcase the complete range of Williams’ life and work. It will highlight her time at Black Mountain College, her political activism, and her establishment, with Paul Williams, of an influential yet little-known artist community, in addition to her work as an author and illustrator.
Author and illustrator of 17 children’s books, including Caldecott medal winner, A Chair for My Mother, Vera B. Williams always had a passion for the arts. Williams grew up in the Bronx, NY, and in 1936, when she was nine years old, one of her paintings, called Yentas, opens a new window, was included in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. While Williams is widely known for her children’s books today, this exhibition’s expansive scope highlights unexplored aspects of her artistic practice and eight decades of life. From groundbreaking, powerful covers for Liberation Magazine, to Peace calendar collaborations with writer activist Grace Paley, to scenic sketches for Julian Beck and Judith Malina’s Living Theater, to hundreds of late life “Aging and Illness” cartoons sketches and doodles, Vera never sat still.
Williams arrived at Black Mountain College in 1945. While there, she embraced all aspects of living, working, and learning in the intensely creative college community. She was at BMC during a particularly fertile period, which allowed her to study with faculty members Buckminster Fuller and Josef Albers, and to participate in the famed summer sessions with John Cage, Merce Cunningham, M.C. Richards, and Robert Rauschenberg. In 1948, she graduated with Josef Albers as her advisor and sculptor Richard Lippold as her outside examiner. Forever one of the College’s shining stars, Vera graduated from BMC with just six semesters of coursework, at only twenty-one years old. She continued to visit BMC for years afterward, staying deeply involved with the artistic community that BMC incubated.
Anticipating the eventual closure of BMC, Williams, alongside her husband Paul Williams and a group of influential former BMC figures, founded The Gate Hill Cooperative Artists community located 30 miles north of NYC on the outskirts of Stony Point, NY. The Gate Hill Cooperative, also known as The Land, became an outcropping of Black Mountain College’s experimental ethos. Students and faculty including John Cage, M.C. Richards, David Tudor, Karen Karnes, David Weinrib, Stan VanDerBeek, and Patsy Lynch Wood shaped Gate Hill as founding members of the community. Vera B. Williams raised her three children at Gate Hill while continuing to make work.
The early Gate Hill era represented an especially creative phase for the BMC group. For Williams, this period saw the creation of 76 covers for Liberation Magazine, a radical, groundbreaking publication. This exhibition will feature some of Williams’ most powerful Liberation covers including a design for the June 1963 edition, which contained the first full publication of MLK’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Williams’ activism work continued throughout her life. As president of PEN’s Children Committee and member of The War Resisters league, she created a wide range of political and educational posters and journal covers. Williams protested the war in Vietnam and nuclear proliferation while supporting women’s causes and racial equality. In 1981, Williams was arrested and spent a month in a federal prison on charges stemming from her political activism.
In her late 40’s, Williams embarked in earnest on her career as a children’s book author and illustrator, a career which garnered the NY Public Library’s recognition of A Chair for My Mother as one of the greatest 100 children’s books of all time. Infinitely curious and always a wanderer at heart, Williams’ personal life was as expansive as her art. In addition to her prolific picture making, Williams started and helped run a Summerhill-based alternative school, canoed the Yukon, and lived alone on a houseboat in Vancouver Harbor. She helped to organize and attended dozens of political demonstrations throughout her adult life.
Her books won many awards including the Caldecott Medal Honor Book for A Chair for My Mother in 1983, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award– Fiction category– for Scooter in 1994, the Jane Addams Honor for Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart in 2002, and the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s Literature in 2009. Her books reflected her values, emphasizing love, compassion, kindness, joy, strength, individuality, and courage.
Images:
Cover of Vera B. Williams’ A Chair for My Mother, published in 1982.
Vera B. Williams, Cover for Liberation Magazine, November 1958.
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Western North Carolina is important in the history of American glass art. Several artists of the Studio Glass Movement came to the region, including its founder Harvey K. Littleton. Begun in 1962 in Wisconsin, it was a student of Littleton’s that first came to the area in 1965 and set up a glass studio at the Penland School of Craft in Penland, North Carolina. By 1967, Mark Peiser was the first glass artist resident at the school and taught many notable artists, like Jak Brewer in 1968 and Richard Ritter who came to study in 1971. By 1977, Littleton retired from teaching and moved to nearby Spruce Pine, North Carolina and set up a glass studio at his home. Since that time, glass artists like Ken Carder, Rick and Valerie Beck, Shane Fero, and Yaffa Sikorsky and Jeff Todd—to name only a few—have flocked to the area to reside, collaborate, and teach, making it a significant place for experimentation and education in glass. The next generation of artists like Hayden Wilson and Alex Bernstein continue to create here. The Museum is dedicated to collecting American studio glass and within that umbrella, explores the work of Artists connected to Western North Carolina. Exhibitions, including Intersections of American Art, explore glass art in the context of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries. A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of the medium can be seen in this selection of works from the Museum’s Collection. |
Instructor: Adam Bigelow
Free | Suggested Donation $12
Limit: 30
This year is the 40th anniversary of the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference, the largest and oldest conference of its kind in the country. Hear about the history and impact of this great annual gathering, and get a preview of some highlights of this year’s historic conference in this informal Lunch & Learn discussion with Adam Bigelow, who is one of the conference planners.
Adam Bigelow is a horticulturist and amateur botanist who lives in Cullowhee, NC, and has been studying the plants and wildflowers of Southern Appalachia for over 20 years. Adam is the owner/operator of Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions, an eco-tour business leading guided plant walks in WNC. He is an avid organic gardener and founded and managed the Cullowhee Community Garden for ten years. Adam is a long-time attendee, field trip leader, and steering committee member of the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference, the largest and oldest annual conference focusing on Native Plants on the East Coast. Adam has lived in WNC for 30 years.
The PercCollider is on a new day and time! Bring your lunch and join us for an inspiring talk.
Reflections on sustainability lessons learned as a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia, West Africa, 30 years ago and today.
Keith McDade served as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1993-1995 in the Gambia, West Africa, working in agroforestry and environmental education. His experience there was a great opportunity to learn a tremendous amount, connect deeply with others, possibly help where help was desired, and enjoy himself in a very different culture. The greatly influential experience offered insights and ideas about how we might better move toward more sustainability that can translate to the here and now. Keith returned to visit his host family and villages this time last year (2023) as part of his sabbatical. This visit offered new insights and perspectives on time, change, resilience, and community. In the presentation, Keith will share some stories, insights, and ideas that offer food for thought from his experiences in The Gambia about how we all might be able to help build a better world right here in our own back yards.
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REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED Come join Heather Bauer as we explore the ABCs of falls prevention. Whether you are bringing greater care into your own lives and/or caring for an aging loved one, this session is for anyone of ANY age who is interested in staying strong, grounded, and independent to live as safely and fully as possible! We will discuss and assess fall risk with nationally recognized tools, share resources, and Heather Bauer, BA, is a long-time falls prevention coach and consultant, trained in |
Volunteers are needed to attend all Buncombe County Board of Elections board meetings. Our presence demonstrates our support for the board, reduces the likelihood of intimidation by election deniers and will insure the board proceedings are documented in a timely manner.
We have a number of members attending these meetings, and they alternate who will be taking notes. Please sign up if you’re willing to attend and take a turn with note-taking.
As the March 5th primary nears, you’ll see that board meetings are long and we are not expecting anyone to stay beyond 2 hours. We are encouraging our attendees to coordinate shifts with each other. Please sign up for the days you can attend and plan for some flexibility please.
This is such an important contribution to protecting our democracy and honoring Buncombe County’s excellent Board of Elections!
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Join us for creative writing online! We’ll meet on Zoom and do several rounds of writing prompts. The group is simple – we just write and read our writing to each other. This is a supportive and fun environment that gets your creative juices flowing with low stakes and lots of fun. Email [email protected] for the link to the online meeting. The contents of this presentation are for informational purposes only. Nothing herein constitutes medical, legal, or financial advice nor is it a substitute for professional advice on any issue. You should not rely on the information received in this presentation for any important decisions, including medical, legal, or financial decisions. Always consult with an appropriate professional for specific advice related to your situation. The views and opinions expressed in this presentation do not necessarily reflect those of Buncombe County or its Public Library System. |
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We’ll fix anything that can be repaired with thread. With help from the experts at WNC Repair Cafe and volunteers, bring in your fabric items and get help with: clothing, visible mending, buttons, zippers, stuffed animals, curtains, and more! |
Ages: 12-18
Performance Dates: May 17-19, 2024
First Cast Meeting: Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 4:30 PM
Auditions: Thursday, March 14, 2024 at 4:30 PM
About Disney’s Descendants: Imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost – home of the most infamous villains who ever lived – the teenaged children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella De Vil have never ventured off the island… until now. When the four troublemakers are sent to attend prep school alongside the children of beloved Disney heroes, they have a difficult choice to make: should they follow in their parents’ wicked footsteps or learn to be good? Based on the popular Disney Channel Original Movies, Disney’s Descendants: The Musical is jam-packed with comedy, adventure, Disney characters, and hit songs from the films!
Read more about registering for Disney’s Descendants HERE
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Qigong is like Yoga but done standing and with more movement so it creates a flow of energy and gently increases circulation throughout your body. The smooth flowing movements are easy to learn as each exercise is performed 8-10 times before proceeding to the next. It is the grandfather of Tai Chi and other martial arts and is the self-help aspect of Chinese medicine. Suitable for all fitness levels, the benefits of well-being, relaxation, calmness and improved balance are often felt often during the very first lesson. And it can be practiced at home in only a few minutes any time you want to improve how you feel. For information email [email protected] |
Join us for good conversation and fellowship with multigenerational Democratic and like-minded people interested in discussing ways to be involved in the upcoming general election and ways to help our candidates win!
We will meet at Foothills Grange, so bring the children and grandchildren to play in the sand pile while we sit nearby. There are outdoor heaters, but we can move inside if it is chilly. Young people and families are encouraged to attend as well as the seasoned voters. Join us for dinner, too, or stick with drinks!
Who should attend: Any interested Democratic or unaffiliated voter and community member in and around the Black Mountain Cluster. Candidates are always welcome!
Hendersonville Sustainability Manager Caitlyn Gendusa will discuss various sustainability initiatives the City is working on, including updates on zero and low emission transportation, waste management, energy efficiency, and more. There will also be an update on the City’s first Sustainability Strategic Plan, expected to be finalized and adopted this spring.
Green Drinks is sponsored by Conserving Carolina, MountainTrue and Trailside Brewing Co.
Don’t miss your chance to check out some of the best pickers from all over WNC at our amazing Bluegrass Jam curated by the talented Drew Matulich — every Thursday starting at 7:00 pm! A real show-stopping performance only at Jack of the Wood! Open jam starts at 9:30 pm.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers
Show rating: Ages 21 and up
See all of our upcoming events at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/beardedladyproductions
Join us on Thursday, March 14th at 7:00 p.m. at New Belgium Brewing for an evening of non-stop fun and laughter! Bearded Lady Productions is proud to bring back “Divine Intervention,” the sell-out smash hit game show fundraiser. This event is a fundraiser with all profits being donated to Our VOICE. Ages 21 and up. The $15 tickets are available now at www.AshevilleDragBrunch.com.
Step into the fabulous world of “Divine Intervention,” a 90-minute game show that channels the spirit of the classic Family Feud but with a fabulous twist! Hosted by the charismatic Divinity Holeburn, this show guarantees real audience engagement with saucy side-commentary, cheeky prizes, and dazzling drag performances that will leave you in awe. But that’s not all! If you’re feeling lucky, you could even be chosen to participate as a contestant in the game show and win some fabulously tacky prizes. And while the contestants take a break, the audience will be treated to silly commercial breaks and even more dazzling drag performances.
New Belgium has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ communities for over 20 years. They employed the first Diversity + Inclusion specialist in the craft beer industry, and now have a DEI Director leading this work across our fast-growing business. They are a member of the Human Rights Campaign Business Coalition for the Equality Act and advocate against discriminatory public policy. They are proud to support organizations working for LGBTQ+ health, education, and equity year-round (https://www.newbelgium.com).
OurVOICE is Buncombe County’s anti-sexual violence and anti-human trafficking agency that takes an intersectional, person-centered approach to support survivors and prevent future acts of sexual violence. Their core values are as follows: to believe all survivors, promote dignity, support individual agency, shift paradigms, and create a culture of care and honesty. Learn more at https://www.ourvoicenc.org.
See this and a variety of other fundraiser shows planned for the year at www.AshevilleDragBrunch.com. Tickets are non-refundable. Bags and backpacks are subject to search. Seating at this event is theatre style. Produced by Bearded Lady Productions 501c3.
Can’t make it but still want to help? Donate at https://www.ashevilledragbrunch.com/donate.
Join us for Jazz Jam Thursday every Thursday from 7-10. There is a suggested donation of $10 and local craft beer and wine for sale. Come as you are or bring an instrument! Open jam starts at 8 after a House Band set guaranteed to fill your soul with groove and joy.
Public parking is available at Marjorie Street, across from Packs Tavern.
Join the Hurricanes as we honor servicemen and women from all branches of the military and thank them for their service and commitment to our country. Presented by Navy Federal Credit Union.
Join the Hurricanes as we honor servicemen and women from all branches of the military and thank them for their service and commitment to our country. Presented by Navy Federal Credit Union.
The Peace Center is proud to present the Fine Arts Center Jazz All Stars concerts in Genevieve’s. Now in its sixth year, the Fine Arts Center concert series prepares student musicians for a career in the arts and entertainment industry by giving them a resume-building, professional opportunity to perform in paid settings.
A storytelling show about you—the audience—The Campfireball is created spontaneously out of whatever stories and lives happen to be gathered together inside Story Parlor at that moment in time. There’s nothing to prepare and nothing to fear—participation is never required, and the show is just as much fun to sit back and watch unfold as it is to play along. Come on out for a night of storytelling you will literally never be able to experience again. Never possible to know what’s coming next, each Campfireball slowly begins to reveal surprises, connections, and communitas as the space transforms from a room of strangers to a room of neighbors.
Workshopped and developed over two years in the master’s program for storytelling at East Tennessee State University and showcased at the 2023 Asheville Fringe Festival, host/storyteller Cory Howard (National Storytelling Festival, Moth Grand Slam winner) blends intimacy and absurdity in an effort to shepherd the audience through ridiculous yet reverent ways of drawing out their life experiences.
The March Campfireball theme is ‘FATE’. Do you ever wonder if all the little things that lead you to this moment right now are coincidence or destiny? Let’s find out as we put the magnifying glass on the twists and turns of our origin stories. Featuring special guest, storyteller Dr. Ray Christian.
This dance is fragrance-free (no perfume, cologne, strong deodorant, etc.), out of respect for those with sensitivities.
If this is your first time dancing with us, your second dance is free!
SHUCKED is the Tony Award®–winning musical comedy The Wall Street Journal calls “flat out hilarious!” And nobody knows funny like economists. Featuring a book by Tony Award winner Robert Horn (Tootsie), a score by the Grammy® Award–winning songwriting team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally (Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow”), and directed by Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray), this corn-fed, corn-bred American musical is sure to satisfy your appetite for great musical theater.
SHUCKED is recommended for ages 10+. SHUCKED contains adult themes, moments of adult language, and a harvest of corny innuendo.
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One lucky winner will walk away with the keys to a new 2024 Volkswagen Electric ID.4 (or its cash equivalent). Your purchase is both transactional and transformative with each ticket purchase going to support the work of 15 high-impact local nonprofits.
Don’t miss this opportunity to fuel community change! Purchase your ticket today (or come back and purchase additional tickets, you can purchase as many as you want up until the date of the drawing).
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity
Asheville Art Museum
Asheville on Bikes
Asheville City Schools Foundation
Asheville Humane Society
Beloved Asheville
Blue Ridge Orchestra
Bountiful Cities
LEAF Global Arts
MANNA Food Bank
Mountain Housing Opportunities
Sparc Foundation
Thrive Asheville
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County
YMI Cultural Center
The drawing for the winner of the Volkswagen Electric ID.4 (or its cash equivalent) will be held at Mosaic Realty’s Art Walk & Benefit event on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at the Asheville Art Museum at 9:00 PM. Raffle ticket purchasers do not have to be present to win. For more information about the Art Walk & Benefit, visit Mosaic Realty’s event page.
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The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency (AB Air Quality) is now accepting nominations for our twentieth annual air quality awards program. The goal of the Clean Air Excellence Awards is to recognize businesses and organizations that have truly gone above and beyond regulatory requirements to improve air quality for the residents of our area. Past years’ award recipients have included Dynamite Roasting Company, Eaton Corporation, and Western North Carolina Veterans Affairs Health Care System; each initiated voluntary efforts that improved air quality in the Asheville-Buncombe County Area.
Award guidelines explain the criteria for the awards and different categories of awards apply to different types of permitted facilities, organizations, and individuals that would like to nominate themselves or another entity for consideration.
To submit a nomination for a Clean Air Excellence Award, please download the application form online and include a brief summary describing what was done to improve air quality for Buncombe County. Examples of voluntary pollution prevention measures include: significant energy efficiency upgrades, switching to more environmentally friendly and lower-emitting solvents and cleaners, installing renewable energy systems, and upgrading fleet vehicles to more fuel-efficient or lower-emitting models. We ask that nominations be submitted to our Agency by April 12, 2024. We encourage you to submit any and all efforts your company (or another company or organization) has undertaken to reduce emissions. Agency staff are available to assist with emissions-related questions.
More information and the application form are available at abairquality.org. Please contact Ashley Featherstone at 828-250-6777 or [email protected] with questions.
Prioritize your health and wellness with a revolving series of ongoing classes for lifelong learners in yoga, dance, theatre, and more.
Classes are held in the Henry LaBrun Studio at the Wortham Center at 18 Biltmore Ave. Please access the front courtyard from the breezeway by White Duck Taco. Signs will then direct you to the studio door to the left. Parking information can be found here.
One lucky winner will walk away with the keys to a new 2024 Volkswagen Electric ID.4 (or its cash equivalent). Your purchase is both transactional and transformative with each ticket purchase going to support the work of 15 high-impact local nonprofits.
Don’t miss this opportunity to fuel community change! Purchase your ticket today (or come back and purchase additional tickets, you can purchase as many as you want up until the date of the drawing).
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity
Asheville Art Museum
Asheville on Bikes
Asheville City Schools Foundation
Asheville Humane Society
Beloved Asheville
Blue Ridge Orchestra
Bountiful Cities
LEAF Global Arts
MANNA Food Bank
Mountain Housing Opportunities
Sparc Foundation
Thrive Asheville
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County
YMI Cultural Center
The drawing for the winner of the Volkswagen Electric ID.4 (or its cash equivalent) will be held at Mosaic Realty’s Art Walk & Benefit event on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at the Asheville Art Museum at 9:00 PM. Raffle ticket purchasers do not have to be present to win. For more information about the Art Walk & Benefit, visit Mosaic Realty’s event page.
One of America’s premier music festivals, Brevard Music Center’s 2024 summer lineup features a diverse offering of symphony, opera, chamber, jazz, bluegrass, and Broadway performances. The season will be highlighted by Legendary Artist Wynton Marsalis, who will appear with The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in three extraordinary concerts in late June. Additional festival highlights include classical masterpieces Prokofiev 5, Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, and world premiere concertos by two of today’s top composers; Janiec Opera Company productions of The Threepenny Opera, Flight, La Bohème, and An Evening of Jerome Kern and Friends; a family-friendly film with live orchestra presentation of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back™ in Concert; and BMC Presents lighter concert fare featuring Bryan Sutton, David Sanborn, Aoife O’Donovan, and Béla Fleck.
Led by Artistic Director Keith Lockhart, Brevard’s hallmark is the powerful sense of community that re-emerges every June as faculty and students work together to present over 100 performances and events to more than 40,000 enthusiastic fans from across the country. Primary BMC performance venues include the 1800-seat, open-air Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium and the 400-seat Parker Concert Hall.
Save 25% on single ticket prices.
BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.
Save 25% on single ticket prices.
BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.
Save 20% on single ticket prices.
BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.
Save 15% on single ticket prices.
*Opening Night, Season Finale, BMC Presents, and Legendary Artists Series are not eligible for inclusion.
Save 10% on single ticket prices.
Please note that seating assignments for An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Save 10% on single ticket prices.
Please note that seating assignments for An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Save 15% on single ticket prices.
BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.
Flex tickets cannot be purchased during the subscription renewal/purchase phase and will be available during the donor presale to qualifying purchasers.
*Opening Night, Season Finale, BMC Presents, Legendary Artist Series are ineligible for this discount package.
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Are you interested in doing business with Buncombe County or learning about outreach opportunities for your business? If so, Buncombe County’s new vendor portal has upgraded features so vendors can now self-register with a variety of new options. The new portal will also make it easier for all vendors to access information to bid on contracts, get updates, manage contract information, view existing contracts, and more. Additionally, updated commodity codes will allow vendors to identify what goods and services they provide, allowing the County to better determine who to solicit and increase participation in the bidding process.
In an effort to continually increase the County’s commitment to equity, one of its 2025 Strategic Plan priorities, vendors can self-identify as a Woman/Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE) or Historically Under Utilized Business (HUB).
You can visit Buncombe County’s new and improved vendor portal here. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
SAVE MONEY! With a Flex Pass, you’ll receive a bundle of tickets to use for our upcoming mainstage productions for less than $20 a ticket! This is a deal that just can’t be beat in WNC.
