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.

View all works acquired from the Appalachia Now! exhibition here.
The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to share that seven artists from the opening exhibition Appalachia Now! An Interdisciplinary Survey of Contemporary Art in Southern Appalachia have entered the Museum’s Collection of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Appalachia Now! was the inaugural exhibition of the newly renovated Museum that celebrated contemporary artists living and working in Southern Appalachia.
Considering available funds, the Museum’s curatorial team selected a range of works that reflect the diversity of Appalachia Now! These works were then presented to the Collectors’ Circle who voted to acquire them.
“It’s such an honor to be a part of the Asheville Art Museum’s expansion into new media,” says Lei Han, who is an associate professor and director of new media at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. “My collaborators and I are grateful for this recognition and we look forward to future collaborations with the Museum.”
“The Museum looks forward to following the careers of all the Appalachia Now! artists,” says Asheville Art Museum Executive Director Pamela Myers. “We are also very thankful for the Collectors’ Circle—for their generosity and ongoing support of the Museum, and their dedication to building the Museum’s important Collection for the enjoyment of all of our visitors.”

Signaling recent activist and aesthetic concepts in the work of Kara Walker, Childish Gambino, BLM, Janelle Monáe, and Kendrick Lamar, and marking the exit of the Obama Administration and the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, this anthology explores the role of African American arts in shaping the future, and further informing new directions we might take in honoring and protecting the success of African Americans in the U.S. The essays in African American Arts: Activism, Aesthetics, and Futurity engage readers in critical conversations by activists, scholars, and artists reflecting on national and transnational legacies of African American activism as an element of artistic practice, particularly as they concern artistic expression and race relations, and the intersections of creative processes with economic, sociological, and psychological inequalities. Scholars from the fields of communication, theater, queer studies, media studies, performance studies, dance, visual arts, and fashion design, to name a few, collectively ask: What are the connections between African American arts, the work of social justice, and creative processes? If we conceive the arts as critical to the legacy of black activism in the United States, how can we use that construct to inform our understanding of the complicated intersections of African American activism and aesthetics? How might we as scholars and creative thinkers further employ the arts to envision and shape a verdant society?
Discussion Bound
Meeting each second Tuesday at 12pm, this monthly discussion is a place to exchange ideas about readings that relate to artworks and the art world, and to learn from and about each other. Pick up some tasty local fare at the Malaprop’s Café to make the most of your midday break! Books are available at Malaprop’s for a 10% discount. To add your name to our Discussion Bound mailing list, email Kristi McMillan, adult programs manager, or call 828.253.3227 x122.
- Bricks-And-Mortar
- Public Education
- Planning, Survey and Designation
Blue Spiral 1’s most diverse annual exhibition presents artists who have never previously shown in the gallery. This year’s show features nine artists working in a range of media, including painting, ceramics, textiles, mixed media, photography, and wood.
Artists: Anna Buckner, Mark Flowers, David Knox, Hiromi Moneyhun, Kris Rehring, Ben Strear, Gregor Turk

Shapeshifters, the newest exhibition in the John Cram Partner Gallery. Shapeshifters brings together the works of two acclaimed regional artists, Cherokee-based Joshua Adams and Atlanta-based Jiha Moon, who use masks and other objects to explore culture, material, and representation, particularly in the contemporary American South.
Please join us at Casual Pint on Feburary 12th for a fun paint night with Robin Arramae. She will teach us to paint a beautiful canvas. Great drinks and food will be available for purchase. Please join us for a night of fun, community, and fighting cancer.
Disclaimer Stand-up Lounge is the longest running comedy open mic in Asheville happening every Wednesday night. The show starts at 9:00, and there is no cover. Anyone wanting to perform needs to sign up by 9pm, and will get five minutes on stage. Local and not-so-local, professional and not-so-professional comics perform or just anyone wanting to get up in front of people and try to make them laugh. Always fun. Always free.
Blue Spiral 1’s most diverse annual exhibition presents artists who have never previously shown in the gallery. This year’s show features nine artists working in a range of media, including painting, ceramics, textiles, mixed media, photography, and wood.
Artists: Anna Buckner, Mark Flowers, David Knox, Hiromi Moneyhun, Kris Rehring, Ben Strear, Gregor Turk

Shapeshifters, the newest exhibition in the John Cram Partner Gallery. Shapeshifters brings together the works of two acclaimed regional artists, Cherokee-based Joshua Adams and Atlanta-based Jiha Moon, who use masks and other objects to explore culture, material, and representation, particularly in the contemporary American South.

View all works acquired from the Appalachia Now! exhibition here.
The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to share that seven artists from the opening exhibition Appalachia Now! An Interdisciplinary Survey of Contemporary Art in Southern Appalachia have entered the Museum’s Collection of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Appalachia Now! was the inaugural exhibition of the newly renovated Museum that celebrated contemporary artists living and working in Southern Appalachia.
Considering available funds, the Museum’s curatorial team selected a range of works that reflect the diversity of Appalachia Now! These works were then presented to the Collectors’ Circle who voted to acquire them.
“It’s such an honor to be a part of the Asheville Art Museum’s expansion into new media,” says Lei Han, who is an associate professor and director of new media at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. “My collaborators and I are grateful for this recognition and we look forward to future collaborations with the Museum.”
“The Museum looks forward to following the careers of all the Appalachia Now! artists,” says Asheville Art Museum Executive Director Pamela Myers. “We are also very thankful for the Collectors’ Circle—for their generosity and ongoing support of the Museum, and their dedication to building the Museum’s important Collection for the enjoyment of all of our visitors.”
Love, Hate and Standup Comedy Revue,
featuring 12 of Asheville’s Sexiest Comics
Thursday February 13, 8p (doors 7p)
Where: The Orange Peel
Cost: $10/$12
Hosted by Cody Hughes, featuring some of Asheville’s funniest and up-and-coming-comics:
Cary Goff
Petey Smith McDowell
Tom Scheve
Hilliary Begley
Moira Goree
Morgan Bost
Justin Blackburn
Jess Cooley
Lilly Campbell
Cory Thompson
Corey Smathers
Brought to you by Slice of Life Comedy. For more info contact Michele Scheve at [email protected]
- Bricks-And-Mortar
- Public Education
- Planning, Survey and Designation

Each spring, hundreds of locals 50+ years-old enjoy participating in the Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts. This year’s program will be held at locations throughout Buncombe County from Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.
To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.
Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.
Silver Arts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, and woodturning), Visual (solo, small group, and large group), Performing, Literary (poem, short story, essay, and life experience), and Contemporary. Art pieces will be displayed at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.
A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.
Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.
| File Name | Size | Type | Date & Time Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 209 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM | |
| Schedule | 45 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM |
Blue Spiral 1’s most diverse annual exhibition presents artists who have never previously shown in the gallery. This year’s show features nine artists working in a range of media, including painting, ceramics, textiles, mixed media, photography, and wood.
Artists: Anna Buckner, Mark Flowers, David Knox, Hiromi Moneyhun, Kris Rehring, Ben Strear, Gregor Turk

Shapeshifters, the newest exhibition in the John Cram Partner Gallery. Shapeshifters brings together the works of two acclaimed regional artists, Cherokee-based Joshua Adams and Atlanta-based Jiha Moon, who use masks and other objects to explore culture, material, and representation, particularly in the contemporary American South.
The Museum, with the assistance of its volunteer docents and support from the Asheville Area Section of the American Institute of Architects, is proud to sponsor the WNC Regional Scholastic Art Awards. Students in grades 7–12 from across our region are invited to submit work for this special juried competition. The Museum works with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers to facilitate regional judging of student artwork and recognition of our community’s burgeoning artistic talent.
In early spring each year, award winners are featured in an exhibition, and are honored at a ceremony. Regional Gold Key recipients’ work is sent to the National Scholastic Art Awards hosted by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.
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Celebrate Valentine’s Day this Friday, February 14th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Vineyard Vines at Asheville Outlets. Enjoy complimentary sips + snacks while you shop, along with DIY Valentine’s day cards to color in-store or take home! Visit ShopAshevilleOutlets.com for more information. Free and open to the public.
We invite you to an evening of music & dance with powerful performances from Free Planet Radio & members of Toubab Krewe, featured music by Nex Millen & Adama Dembele, hip hop dance showcases by Otto Aquaboogy Vazquez & Goldilocks, and special surprises from New Orleans Legends, Dirty Dozen Brass Band! Join us for an exploration of this new bridge from our community to the world!
Tickets $75 (includes drinks & light dinner)
Syracuse native, Jessimae Peluso, from MTV’s “Girl Code”, can be heard weekly podcasts on her Sharp Tongue & Highlarious podcasts. Both available on iTunes, Stitcher, Sound Cloud and Google Play. She has a weekly Facebook live show called “Weedsday” every Wednesday that raises awareness for Alzheimer’s Disease.
You may have seen Jessimae on MTV’s “Girl Code” and “Safe Word”, TBS’s “Deal With It”, NBC’s “Last Call w/Carson Daly”, E!’s “Chelsea Lately”, FOX’s “World’s Funniest Fails”, VH1’s “Hip Hop Squares”, AXS’ “Gotham Live”, TruTV’s “Comedy Knockout” , and multiple appearances on Comedy Central’s “@Midnight. Chick be workin’!
Jessimae was featured in the Moontower Comedy Festival, New York Comedy Festival, Boston Comedy Festival, North Carolina Comedy & Arts Festival, Women in Arts Comedy Festival, and Just For Laughs and featured on Kevin Hart’s LOL Live network. She has contributed to Cosmopolitan Magazine, High Times Magazine, DOPE Magazine, Self Magazine, GQ.Com, Playboy.com, MadeMen.com, and was highlighted in the Huffington Post as ‘one of the funniest comics to follow on twitter’.
Television:
- MTV’s Girl Code
- TBS’ Deal With It
- NBC’s Last Call With Carson Daly
- E!’s Chelsea Lately
- Comedy Central
Festivals:
- Just For Laughs, Montreal
- New York Comedy Festival
- Boston Comedy Festival
- North Carolina Comedy & Arts Festival
- Women in Comedy Festival

One of the funniest musicals ever written. Sondheim’s joyous musical romp through Rome has desperate lovers, scheming neighbors and secrets behind every toga. This unforgettable, hysterical musical allows a terrify ensemble of comedic actors to shine!
GILBERT LAWAND is a Brooklyn based comedian by way of Atlanta. You can see him performing all over the New York City area at some of the best shows such as Night Train, the Knitting Factory, and Bar Matchless as well as comedy clubs like Caroline’s, Gotham, New York Comedy Club, and the Creek and the Cave. He also produces the annual Red Clay Comedy Festival which takes place in Atlanta every September. Gilbert has performed in several festivals including Bridgetown, High Plains, and the Laughing Skull Festival where he was a finalist in 2015. He’s a frequent opener for Rory Scovel and has also opened for Dave Chappelle.
ages 18+
Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of
FRIDAY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-gilbert-lawand-friday-tickets-89416522225
SATURDAY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-gilbert-lawand-saturday-tickets-89418100947
Syracuse native, Jessimae Peluso, from MTV’s “Girl Code”, can be heard weekly podcasts on her Sharp Tongue & Highlarious podcasts. Both available on iTunes, Stitcher, Sound Cloud and Google Play. She has a weekly Facebook live show called “Weedsday” every Wednesday that raises awareness for Alzheimer’s Disease.
You may have seen Jessimae on MTV’s “Girl Code” and “Safe Word”, TBS’s “Deal With It”, NBC’s “Last Call w/Carson Daly”, E!’s “Chelsea Lately”, FOX’s “World’s Funniest Fails”, VH1’s “Hip Hop Squares”, AXS’ “Gotham Live”, TruTV’s “Comedy Knockout” , and multiple appearances on Comedy Central’s “@Midnight. Chick be workin’!
Jessimae was featured in the Moontower Comedy Festival, New York Comedy Festival, Boston Comedy Festival, North Carolina Comedy & Arts Festival, Women in Arts Comedy Festival, and Just For Laughs and featured on Kevin Hart’s LOL Live network. She has contributed to Cosmopolitan Magazine, High Times Magazine, DOPE Magazine, Self Magazine, GQ.Com, Playboy.com, MadeMen.com, and was highlighted in the Huffington Post as ‘one of the funniest comics to follow on twitter’.
- MTV’s Girl Code
- TBS’ Deal With It
- NBC’s Last Call With Carson Daly
- E!’s Chelsea Lately
- Comedy Central
Festivals:
- Just For Laughs, Montreal
- New York Comedy Festival
- Boston Comedy Festival
- North Carolina Comedy & Arts Festival
- Women in Comedy Festival
- Bricks-And-Mortar
- Public Education
- Planning, Survey and Designation
Artist Opportunities
The Asheville Area Arts Council is pleased to share the following opportunities for artists that have recently been submitted to us. If you have any questions about an opportunity, please contact the listed organization.
The Asheville Area Arts Council does not endorse or recommend any specific opportunities, but provides this list for information only. We encourage artists to research each opportunity thoroughly before applying.

Call for Artists: NRCC Art Society
The North Ridge Country Club Art Society wishes to promote art and area artists, while also developing increased art appreciation within its membership. The NRCC Art Society continues to expand the permanent art collection in the clubhouse for members …
January 3, 2020 – January 19, 2020

Call for Musicians: Chamber Music Raleigh
ANNOUNCING THE FOLLOWING OPPORTUNITY FOR NC-BASED MUSICIANS Performance Venue: North Carolina Museum of Art, SECU Auditorium Dates: Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 2pm or Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 2pm Artists Fee: up to $2500 Submission Instructions: …
January 2, 2020 – January 24, 2020

Call for Artists: Shenandoah National Park
The Shenandoah National Park Artist-in-Residence program offers professional artists focused time to creatively explore the natural and cultural resources of this astounding landscape. It also allows artists the opportunity to share their work through …
November 25, 2019 – January 31, 2020

Call for Artists: Zapow Juried Show
ZaPow Gallery, the premier Illustration and Narrative Art Gallery in the Southeast, will be hosting its Second Annual Juried Open Show March 2020. If you are an Illustrator or Narrative artist living in the WNC area this is your chance to show your wor …
December 9, 2019 – February 1, 2020

Call for Artists: Magnetic Theater
SPECIAL EVENT – ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL Script Submission Guidelines: – The submission deadline is Saturday, February 1st at 11:59pm. – Plays should be between 10 and 30 minutes long, though there is a bit of wiggle room. – No more than 10 roles (prefe …
January 3, 2020 – February 1, 2020

Call for Artists: Chilkoot Trail Residency
The Yukon Arts Centre, the US National Park Service, Parks Canada and the Skagway Arts Council are calling for submissions for the 2021 Chilkoot Trail Artist Residency Program. Participants will combine their artistic abilities with a love of the outdo …
December 9, 2019 – February 11, 2020

Call for Artists: International Artist Residency
Open Call for 2020-21 International Artist Residencies at Farm Studio in Rajasthan, India The deadline for applications is 20th February, 2020. Residencies will take place October, November, December 2020 and January, February 2021. All residency infor …

Each spring, hundreds of locals 50+ years-old enjoy participating in the Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts. This year’s program will be held at locations throughout Buncombe County from Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.
To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.
Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.
Silver Arts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, and woodturning), Visual (solo, small group, and large group), Performing, Literary (poem, short story, essay, and life experience), and Contemporary. Art pieces will be displayed at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.
A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.
Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.
| File Name | Size | Type | Date & Time Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 209 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM | |
| Schedule | 45 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM |

Failte (Welcome)… to The Asheville Celtic Festival, a Winter Indoor Celtic Festival bringing the Celtic Spirit of the Seven Nations to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, will be held inside of the Davis Center at the WNC Agricultural Center giving us comfortable setting in the winter months.
Feel the Vibes of Early Settlers from the Celtic Nations
Participate in Entertaining Battles and Performances
Learn About Celtic History and Traditions
Listen to LIVE Celtic Music
Explore your Family Background
See Characters in 1700 Period Dress
Shop the Celtic Crafts and Buy a Kilt
Eat Traditional Foods
Drink the Stouts & Ales
Rest by the Fire
Attractions
Live Celtic Music
Traditional Food & Drink
Kilts and Accessories
Scottish Althletes
Scottish Crafts and Gifts
Scottish and Irish Dog Clubs
Armored Sword Fighting at The Castle
Family Heritage Research
Blue Spiral 1’s most diverse annual exhibition presents artists who have never previously shown in the gallery. This year’s show features nine artists working in a range of media, including painting, ceramics, textiles, mixed media, photography, and wood.
Artists: Anna Buckner, Mark Flowers, David Knox, Hiromi Moneyhun, Kris Rehring, Ben Strear, Gregor Turk




