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.

Friday, May 26, 2023
Italian Renaissance Alive
May 26 @ 10:00 am
Biltmore Estate

Explore Biltmore House with an Audio Guide that introduces you to the Vanderbilt family and their magnificent home’s history, architecture, and collections of fine art and furnishings.

PLUS: Immersive, multi-sensory Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition created by Grande Experiences

PLUS: FREE next-day access to Biltmore’s Gardens and Grounds

This visit includes access to:

  • Italian Renaissance Alive at Amherst at Deerpark®
  • 8,000 Acres of Gardens and Grounds for two consecutive days
  • Antler Hill Village & Winery
  • Complimentary Wine Tastings at the Winery
  • Tastings require a Day-of-Visit Reservation, which can be made by:
    • Scanning the QR Code found in your Estate Guide
    • Visiting any Guest Services location
  • Complimentary parking

Art Exhibition: Italian Renaissance Alive

This fascinating experience takes you on a spellbinding tour of Italy, fully immersing you in the beauty and brilliance of iconic masterworks from the greatest artistic period in history

LAZOOM: CITY COMEDY TOUR
May 26 @ 10:00 am
LaZoom Room

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

  • Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
  • 90-Minutes – tours run daily
  • 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
  • $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
Flower Power – Asheville Gallery of Art
May 26 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Gallery Of Art

Asheville Gallery of Art’s May show, “Flower Power,” introduces three new Gallery members: Nick Colquitt, Jean-Pierre Dubreuil, and Yvonne McCabe. This delightful exhibition takes its audience on a journey through the mountains of North Carolina, showcasing the mysterious beauty they display within their natural terrain. The show runs May 1-31 during Gallery hours, 11am-6pm daily.

MYSTIC RIVER OF DREAMS ART EXHIBITION
May 26 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
ART ON 7TH Fine Art Gallery

Art on 7th will present its May 2023 Exhibition titled “The Mystic River of Dreams.” The show runs May 18 through May 28 and will kick off with a wine and cheese reception on May 18 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

Many of the gallery artists will present work interpreting the exhibition theme, which promises a variety of imagery from the creative minds of contemporary abstract artists. Participating artists include Laurie Adams, Amy Casteel, Stephen Hackley, Courtney Hoelscher, Barbara Jones, Michelle Marra, Robin Pedrero, Christopher Peterson and Julie Wilmot. Paintings, sculptures, and copper are on the list of works planned for the exhibition.

According to gallery owner Julie Wilmot, “These pieces of art won’t be river scenes typically represented in WNC galleries. As a contemporary art gallery, it’s fun to take what might be a classic theme and give it a contemporary twist. Art on 7th has a number of landscapes, waterfalls, and mountain scenes on our walls, but none of it is representational artwork.” Identifying the gallery’s audience Wilmot says, “Art on 7th sells contemporary art that is in harmony with our clients’ mountain lifestyles. And there are plenty of people in the area who love the nature and mountains of WNC but aren’t necessarily intent on carrying a literal design and décor representation, as such, into their homes.”

Pulp Potential: Works in Handmade Paper
May 26 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Paul Wong, Carbon, silver and gold, 2016, pigmented linen and cotton pulp, publisher: Dieu Donné, New York, edition 3/25, 18 × 11 inches. Gift of Dieu Donné, New York, 2022.27.06. © Paul Wong.

On View March 8 through July 24, 2023
The Van Winkle Law Firm Gallery • Level 1

Paper is an essential part of the art-making process for many artists, serving as the base for drawing, painting, printmaking, and other forms of art. As a substrate, paper can vary in weight, absorbency, color, size, and other aspects. Since industrialization, paper has primarily been produced through mechanical means that allow for consistency and affordability.

What happens, then, when an artist chooses to return to the foundations of paper, wherein it is made by hand using pulps, fibers, and dyes that reflect the human element through variations, inconsistencies, flaws, and surprises? Certain artists have sought out these qualities and embraced them, making paper not just a support on which to work, but fully a medium in and of itself.

Pulp Potential: Works in Handmade Paper is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and curated by Hilary Schroeder, former assistant curator, with assistance from Alexis Meldrum, curatorial assistant. Special thanks to Dieu Donné, New York, NY.

Too Much Is Just Right: The Legacy of Pattern and Decoration
May 26 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

In the past 50 years in the United States and beyond, artists have sought to break down social and political hierarchies that include issues of identity, gender, power, race, authority, and authenticity. Unsurprisingly, these decades generated a reconsideration of the idea of pattern and decoration as a third option to figuration and abstraction in art. From 1972 to 1985, artists in the Pattern and Decoration movement worked to expand the visual vocabulary of contemporary art to include ethnically and culturally diverse options that eradicated the barriers between fine art and craft and questioned the dominant minimalist aesthetic. These artists did so by incorporating opulence and bold intricacies garnered from such wide-ranging inspirations as United States quilt-making and Islamic architecture.

Too Much Is Just Right: The Legacy of Pattern and Decoration features more than 70 artworks in an array of media from both the original time frame of the Pattern and Decoration movement, as well as contemporary artworks created between 1985 and the present. The artworks in this exhibition demonstrate the vibrant and varied approaches to pattern and decoration in art. Artworks from the 21st century elucidate contemporary perspectives on the employment of pattern to inform visual vocabularies and investigations of diverse themes in the present day.

Artworks drawn from the Asheville Art Museum’s Collection join select major loans and feature Pattern and Decoration artists Valerie Jaudon, Joyce Kozloff, Robert Kushner, and Miriam Schapiro, as well as Anni Albers, Elizabeth Alexander, Sanford Biggers, Tawny Chatmon, Margaret Curtis, Mary Engel, Cathy Fussell, Samantha Hennekke, John Himmelfarb, Anne Lemanski, Rashaad Newsome, Peter Olson, Don Reitz, Sarah Sense, Billie Ruth Sudduth, Mickalene Thomas, Shoku Teruyama, Anna Valdez, Kehinde Wiley, and more.

This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and guest curated by Marilyn Laufer & Tom Butler.

Asheville Beer Week: FAR + WIDE TAPROOM TASTING TAKEOVER
May 26 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
THE MULE

-Featuring Breweries just “outside” of Asheville such as Big Pillow, HomePlace, Innovation, & Newgrass
-All breweries featured on tap
-Breweries invited to table and pour samples, sell merch, and share their passions for brewing and what makes them unique
-live music

Asheville Beer Week: THE HUSTLE IS WEIRD RELEASE PARTY
May 26 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
DSSOLVR
Release Party for our City wide collab “The Hustle is Weird” inviting all who participated and beer games galore! Food from Not Mild Foods and a dj.
LAZOOM Tours: BAND AND BEER TOUR
May 26 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
LaZoom Room

Wanna hear the best local music ​and​ drink the best local beers? Hop aboard LaZoom’s Purple Bus and rock out with a local band while we take you on a journey to Asheville’s premiere local breweries.

  • Curated Live Music & Brewery Bus experience
  • 3 Hours long, includes three 30 Minute Local Brewery Stops
  • You Can Drink on the Funky Purple Bus! **Must be purchased at LaZoom or at brewery stop**
Asheville Beer Week: FRIDAY NIGHT MUSIC AND WINE TASTING
May 26 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
BOTANIST AND BARREL TASTING BAR + BOTTLE SHOP  
  • Join us for an evening of live Jazz and our Featured Monthly Wine Tasting!

    Jazz Guitar w/ Chris Norred

    About the musician: Chris Norred is a multifaceted guitarist who received a BA in Jazz Performance from VCU. Originally from Virginia, he now resides in Asheville, NC where he continues to develop a unique solo guitar style. Chris writes his own arrangements of select titles by Japanese composers of popular video games such as The Legend of Zelda and Chrono Trigger amongst others. He performs exciting takes on popular Swing and Bossa songs from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. His repertoire is not limited to Jazz as he will also tap into the realm of Appalachian Fiddle Tunes and Folk music.

Asheville Beer Week: LIVE MUSIC W/ CUBEROW
May 26 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Black Mountain Brewing

 

Join us on the back deck for live music w/ local favorite duo Cuberow; soulful Indie featuring Melissa Autumn Raines and Billy Presnell.
Asheville Beer Week: Comedy at Catawba: Ayanna Dookie
May 26 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Catawba Brewing Company South Slope

Every Friday Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over the country. This week we have Ayanna Dookie from NYC!

Ayanna Dookie is a stand-up comedian, writer, and storyteller. The daughter of immigrants, Ayanna’s humor is reflective of growing up Brown, Black, woman, and first generation American.

She has been featured on HBO’s Pause with Sam Jay, truTV’s Laff Tracks, 2 Dope Queens on WNYC, NPR’s Snap Judgement, Fox’s Laughs, and AXS TV’s Gotham Comedy Live. Her writing can be seen on BET’s 50 Central and MTV’s Wild n’ Out.

 

featuring TBA

ages 18+

Early show doors at 6:30, show at 7pm

Asheville Beer Week: MEADOW MUSIC: LATE SHIFTERS
May 26 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Highland Brewing Company

 

Southern rock meets jam band meets Americana with The Late Shifters, a passion-driven, band of friends, playing back holler rock-n-roll from Asheville, North Carolina.
Comedy at Catawba: Jenny Zigrino (early show)
May 26 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Catawba Brewing Company - South Slope

Every Friday Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over the country. This week we have Jenny Zigrino from Los Angeles!

With the sweetness of the midwest and the sharp edge of the east coast, Jenny Zigrino brings a powerful comedic performance to any stage. She combines hilarious anecdotes and sharp, witty observations with a cheeky style that challenges social norms and what it means to be human. Her brutal honesty and undeniable charm create a compelling comedic experience you won’t forget.

She made her late night debut on Conan with Conan O’Brien and performed a total of three guest appearances. She was a Just For Laugh’s New Faces in 2016 and since then has been featured on Comedy Central, MTV, TBS, and many others. She starred in films such as Bad Santa 2 along Billy Bob Thornton and in the horror comedy Too Late in 2021. She’s headlined festivals like Moon Tower, New York Comedy Festival, and High Plains Comedy Festival. She’s written and performed several comedy specials including Comedy Central Presents the Half Hours. Her latest appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2023 was met with rave reviews. Her brand new hour, Jen-Z, is available now on Comedy Central’s

 

featuring Good Cop/ Rad Cop

ages 18+

Early show doors at 6:30, show at 7pm

Late show doors at 9, show at 9:30pm

JACQUELINE NOVAK: GET ON YOUR KNEES
May 26 @ 7:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Ages 18+ FULLY SEATED SHOW

Ostensibly a hilarious stand-up show about the blowjob, Get on Your Knees is also an unexpectedly philosophical, coming-of-age tale of triumph. A break-out hit off-Broadway, audiences returned for repeat viewings across multiple sold out runs in NYC. This New York Times “Critic’s Pick” earned Jacqueline a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance. Jacqueline has since toured the show nationally and internationally. This tour is the very last chance to see Get on Your Knees live.

“Brilliant…”- The New York Times

“Clearly her masterwork.” – New York Magazine

“An overthinker’s delight… – The New Yorker

“The true subject of Get on Your Knees is language and its beautiful, delusional attempts to make amends for human finitude.” – New York Review of Books, by Andrea Long Chu

“In a moment when the boundaries between high and low culture have all but dissolved, Novak has found one of the few remaining tensions to play with.” – Paris Review

“The jokes are tremendous.” – Natasha Lyonne for Interview Magazine

“It was a staggering show.” – Miranda July

“…as if Andrea Dworkin and Spaulding Gray had a child they made listen to only Moms Mabley and read only Mary Oliver.” – Jeremy O. Harris

“I howled the whole time.” – Amy Sedaris

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I have seen the Muhammad Ali of comedy.” – John Mulaney

LAZOOM Tours: GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
May 26 @ 7:00 pm
LaZoom Room


GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR

Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.

  • Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
  • 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
  • $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
  • Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue

*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.

Love Your Mother (Earth) Concert
May 26 @ 7:00 pm
Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Womansong, Asheville’s longest-running women’s community chorus, invites you to join us in our spring concert, “Love Your Mother (Earth)” a tribute to the beauty of our world. Under the direction of Artistic Director Dr. Allison Thorp, along with Assistant Director Claire Lemke and former Director Althea Gonzalez, this concert will focus on songs celebrating, caring for, and advocating for Mother Earth. The first half of our program will highlight music that expresses love for the earth – appreciation, reflection, connection and joy. The second half will feature music that expresses love for the earth in action – doing, moving, and making change. Among the many inspiring songs are Carrie Newcomer’s If Not Now, Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi, Elise Witt’s My Salsa Garden, and the world premiere of Lytingale’s call-to-action composition, Together We Can Change the World. From choral anthems to contemporary pop tunes, there’s
something for everyone – music to make you laugh, cry and dance. Accompanying the choir on piano, flute, violin, and percussion will be Lytingale, Georgia Pressman, Jane Snyder, and Sarah Rubin. Womansong concerts are accessible to the hearing impaired through musical sign language interpretation by Shiner Antiorio.
The concert will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, One Edwin Place, Asheville 28801, on Friday, May 26, at 7:30 PM, and Saturday, May 27, at 3:00 PM. Womansong celebrates the unity diversity, and empowerment of women through musical expression as we sing for joy, social justice, and community. Our concerts help fund the operation of our nonprofit organization, including the choir’s New Start Fund, a provider of scholarships and emergency funds to women in need.

Asheville Beer Week: Crisp Comedy, live in Leicester
May 26 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Noble Cider & Mead Taproom

Crisp Comedy takes place once a month in Leicester, NC at Noble Cider and hosted by Leicesters own Clay Jones! A fresh batch of comics each month so no two shows are the same!

ages 21+ (must have ID with you)

Free show with a suggested $12 donation

QUEEN BEE and THE HONEYLOVERS
May 26 @ 8:00 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

Classic Swing, Blues, Latin Music…. and more !!!

Vocal-driven with an infectious groove, the Honeylovers are guaranteed to put a grin on your face and a tap in your toes.  

Queen Bee and the Honeylovers is an Asheville, NC based band that performs classic swing, blues and Latin music. They have been voted best in Jazz 2020/21/22 in the Mountain Xpress “Best Of” poll.

“Asheville now has a soundtrack. A debut release by Queen Bee and the Honeylovers features original songs with a vivacious and nostalgic sound, and lyrics that celebrate the city’s past and present.” -The Laurel of Asheville

Their debut album, ‘Asheville’, celebrated their hometown’s history and won them #41 on WNCW’s listener-voted poll of Best Albums of 2019 as well as features on The State of Things with Frank Stasio and PBS Woodsongs. Their video for “Beacham’s Curve” won Best Soundtack at the 2019 Music Video Asheville Awards.

Queen Bee is:

Whitney Moore, vocals and drums

The Honeylovers are:

Mark Wells, piano

Trevor Stoia, upright bass

Matt Fattal, trumpet

Mattick Frick, guitar

Summer Vacation: A Stand Up Comedy Adventure
May 26 @ 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Catawba Brewing Company South Slope

t’s memorial day weekend aka the first weekend of summer! Join Modelface Comedy for some late night laughs at Catawba Brewing.

It might get a little weird, but yeah we’re all on vacation!!!

Stand Up, Music and surprise guests!

Featuring Amber Chandler, Cody Hughes, Ryan Darling, Dave Hannah, and surprise guests!

ages 18+

Saturday, May 27, 2023
ASAP’s 2023 Local Food Guide
May 27 all-day
online

The free, definitive resource for finding local food and farms also features farm stories and recipes.

 

The 2023 Local Food Guide, ASAP’s annual free publication for finding local food and farms, hits newsstands this week. This definitive resource lists hundreds of Appalachian Grown certified farms, farmers markets, restaurants, groceries, travel destinations, and more throughout Western North Carolina and surrounding counties in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. A digital version of the print Guide may be viewed at asapconnections.org/guide.

 

In addition to the listing content, the 2023 edition features stories that highlight the variety of farming across the region. Jake Puckett, of Crow Fly Farms in Marion, NC, details his passion for holistic animal management. Malcolm Banks, of Yellow Mountain Gardens in Franklin, NC, describes his mission to teach his neighbors—and the world—to grow their own food. Gwen and Jay Englebach, of Black Trumpet Farm in Leicester, NC, talk about building a business and customer relationships. Rounding out the issue are seasonal recipes from chefs at Cultura, Little Chango, The Montford, and Red Fiddle Vittles.

 

Find Local Food Guide copies at farmers markets, visitors centers, libraries, community centers, groceries, restaurants, and other partner businesses throughout the region. They are also available to pick up in the lobby of ASAP’s office in Asheville at 306 W. Haywood St., Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact ASAP if you need help locating a copy in your area.

 

In addition to the print Guide, ASAP maintains the online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org. This database, with more than 1,400 listings, is updated throughout the year and is searchable by products, locations, activities, and more.

 

The 2023 Local Food Guide is made possible in part with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Agricultural Marketing Service and Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Fund, as well as the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and Asheville Regional Airport.

Asheville Art Museum 75th Anniversary Spring Annual Fund
May 27 all-day
online w/ Asheville Art Museum

Celebrate with us by contributing to the future of the arts in Western North Carolina.

 

Make your 75th Anniversary Spring Annual Fund donation today!

! The Diamond Anniversary is a time to honor our rich heritage and—more importantly—envision our future as the premier visual arts organization in this vibrant, creative region.

 

Founded in 1948 by a group of local artists to showcase the scope and depth of creativity in Western North Carolina (WNC), the Museum brings art of international significance to the region and encourages lively, diverse dialogue.

 

The Museum’s original home was a modest, unheated, three-room building on Charlotte Street in the former sales office of Dr. E.W. Grove. The building was designed by Richard Sharp Smith and provided to the Museum by the City of Asheville. Exhibitions by local painters and sculptors could only be staged in warmer weather, and Sunday afternoon receptions gave the community an opportunity to view original art and to listen to artists talk about their work. By the 1950s, the Museum had become an invaluable part of Asheville’s cultural life. It also began acquiring artworks for its Collection.

 

Three quarters of a century later, the Museum has evolved into the preeminent cultural and educational hub for WNC—welcoming tens of thousands of visitors annually, hosting several major exhibitions each year, holding scores of special programs, and housing its Collection of more than 7,500 works in its state-of-the-art Pack Square location. From its humble beginnings on Charlotte Street to its breathtaking permanent home in the heart of downtown Asheville, the Museum has remained dedicated to Its mission to engage, enlighten, and inspire individuals and enrich the community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries.

 

The Asheville Art Museum was built, cherished, and supported by the community throughout the past 75 years. Our anniversary celebration will give back through community partnerships and special programs, and by creating new reasons to visit or become a Member. We hope you’ll join us at one (or all) of our Diamond Anniversary special events: the 2023 Gala on June 17th, the 75th Anniversary Community Day Celebration in August, and the 75th Anniversary Dance Party in November!

 

Asheville Regional Airport: art exhibit highlighting local artists
May 27 all-day
Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)

Edge, the newest exhibit showing in the airport art gallery, is open to the public now through July 21, 2022. The local art is unique, bold and is sure to capture the imaginations of its viewers.

The local artists’ work featured in this exhibit consist of many different mediums. Diane Bronstein creates complex and mesmerizing pieces with photographs, embroidery floss and other materials. Susan Devitt uses bold colors and vivid details to capture the beauty and possibilities of nature with her acrylic paintings. Jen Pacicci crafts peaceful and majestic collages of landscapes using watercolor and torn paper. Kurt Ross designs clay vessels of varying materials and glazes that are each unique in their thoughtful and clean design. Paul Silverman presents ceramic figures of various tools and vintage items that trick the eye in their realistic appearance and awe with their attention to detail.

 

“The Edge exhibit welcomes travelers and residents to Asheville with a vibrant and unique display this spring at AVL,” said Alexandra Ingle, Brand and Experience Designer at AVL and curator of the gallery. “We are excited at each gallery opening to bring a fresh taste of our talented WNC art community into the airport.”

 

Artwork can be purchased from the gallery by emailing [email protected]. Details about the program and how to apply can be found on the airport’s website at flyavl.com.

AVL’s Arts Build Community Grant
May 27 all-day
online

Since 2018, the Arts Build Community grant supports innovative, arts-based projects that inspire diverse groups of participants to be more active, involved, and civically-engaged by creating together. Grants range from $1,000-2,500.

Arts and culture are a fundamental part of our community. They help us connect with one another and better understand history, people, and new ideas. When people become involved in the design, creation, and upkeep of places, they develop a vested interest in using and maintaining these spaces. When neighbors have a true sense of “ownership” or connection to the places they frequent, the community becomes a better place to live, work, and visit.

Description & Eligibility

Organizations must have been in operation for at least one year and be physically located in Buncombe County. Priority is given to projects based in low-income neighborhoods and communities in need.

The arts must be centered in the proposed project. Funds may be used to cover expenses such as art supplies, professional artists’ fees and travel, space rental, advertising, marketing and publicity, website and electronic media, scripts, costumes, sets, props, music and equipment rental.

Funds are for projects taking place from July 1, 2023- June 30, 2024. This can be a reimbursement for projects occurring during this funding period that have already taken place or for projects that have not yet occurred. Projects must be completed by June 30, 2024.

exhibition: Margaret Curtis: All This and More
May 27 all-day
Tracey Morgan Gallery

Opening Reception for the Artist: April 14th, 6-8PM

Tracey Morgan Gallery is pleased to present All This and More, an exhibition of new paintings and works on paper by artist Margaret Curtis. This is Curtis’ second solo exhibition with the gallery.

The works in this exhibition focus on themes of climate and societal collapse. With her own brand of wit, Curtis tackles these universal threats from a deeply personal place, and with impeccable craftsmanship.

Curtis has been exploring and making work about the forests of the Pecos Wilderness in northern New Mexico for over 30 years, relics of which can be found in several pieces included in this exhibition. The catastrophic Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire, which burned for over four months in the spring of 2022, permanently destroyed these forests so dear to her. The soil, structurally altered from the intensity of new fire phenomena and no longer able to absorb water, will be shed by the mountains. Ash which Curtis collected from this devastation is incorporated in the paint used to create several of the works on view.

Says Curtis, “In a way I could never have imagined, and which causes me considerable pain, my paintings are a small, real-time record of climate change and ecosystem loss. I know I will be working with these themes for a long time to come.”

In the painting American Cuck Q Clock (2022), Curtis looks at our culture of gun violence and aggressive, hyper-masculine pickup truck culture. She is interested in the boundary shift between pickup trucks used as weapons or as tools, employing trompe l’oeil conventions to heighten the fact that we live in a time when people do not believe their own eyes. Collapse (2022) and Sun Sets on the Shitkicker (2022) both depict decaying, collapsing billboards of outdated American archetypes. In Sun Sets on the Shitkicker, a dilapidated sign of a cowboy nosedives into the prairie at sunset. The horizon is dominated by the plume of a massive wildfire which rises from his smoking gun. The rugged individualist is fallen, eclipsed by the setting sun and the specter of climate disaster. In Collapse, the post war feminine ideal, portrayed as the Lichtenstein-esque comic book heroin, becomes the outdated signifier.

Margaret Curtis has been creating feminist-based work since the late 1980s. Her work has been included in shows at The Brooklyn Museum, The Andy Warhol Museum, The Huntington Beach Art Center, The Mint Museum and The Wexner Center. In addition to solo exhibitions throughout New York and the American South, her work was the subject of a retrospective exhibition at the Amelie A. Wallace Gallery at Stony Brook University in New York and was featured in Appalachia Now, a regional survey at the Asheville Art Museum. She is currently a Joan Mitchell Foundation Fellow.

Reviews and features of Curtis’ work have appeared in Art Forum, The New York Times, Art in America, Art News, Modern Painters, New Art Examiner, among others. Her work is in permanent public and private collections through-out the United States, including the North Carolina Museum of Art and the Asheville Art Museum. She lives and works in Tryon, NC.

Spring Photo Contest: “Spring Trails”
May 27 all-day
Chimney Rock State Park

NC State Parks’ Year of the Trail continues with a celebration of how our trails transform each spring. Bring your camera on your next excursion in the park and capture budding wildflowers, spring hikers, or whatever you encounter along the way. You may even win a prize for your efforts!

GREAT PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO 3 WINNING ENTRIES

1st Prize: The winning photo will be our Facebook cover photo for two weeks, and the photographer will receive two annual passes to Chimney Rock State Park and lunch for four at the Old Rock Café.

2nd Prize: After the first place photo, the second place photo will be our Facebook cover photo for one week. The photographer will receive one annual pass to Chimney Rock State Park and lunch for two at the Old Rock Café.

3rd Prize: The third place photographer will receive two adult day passes (or one family pack of day passes) to Chimney Rock State Park and lunch for two at the Old Rock Café.

Tryon Fine Arts Center Summer Art Camps Registration Open
May 27 all-day
Tryon Fine Arts Center
Summer Art Series for Youth (SASY) Camp
Summer Art Series for Youth (SASY) 2023
June 19 – 23
Our Summer Arts Camp is a one-week encounter with visual as well as performing arts. Our campers will be given the flexibility to choose their own art experience. They may want to dabble in the performing arts or take part in the visual arts or perhaps do a bit of both.
Ages 5 – 12 years. Cost: $180 – $225
PacJAM Camp
PacJAM Camp 2023
June 26 -30
Students will experience group lessons, jams, music theory, traditional art, songs, stories, and dancing, with an impressive lineup of regular and guest artists. Scholarships and instrument rentals are available.
Ages 6 year and up. Cost: $150
Theater Camp
Theater Camp 2023
July 31 – August 5
Presented in collaboration with Tryon Little Theater, the annual Summer Theater Camp allows students to put on a fully-staged production in just one week! Students learn about the ins and outs of theater-from auditions Monday morning to a fully-staged public show with lights, sound, sets,
props & costumes on Saturday!
Cost: $180 – $225
White Squirrel Weekend
May 27 all-day
Downtown Brevard

White Squirrel 2023 will kick off downtown Friday evening and run through Sunday afternoon in the heart of downtown.

In addition to the live music, the weekend event features a smattering of delicious local food vendors and a beer garden featuring all of Brevard’s local craft breweries and wine.  Craft, artisan and nonprofit vendors add to the weekend’s street offerings.

Asheville Beer Week: Beer City 20k Relay Green Man Brewery
May 27 @ 7:30 am – 11:00 am
Green Man Brewery

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, you’ll find Asheville North Carolina. With it’s clean mountain water, Asheville has a long legacy of beer brewing and now hosts over 30 craft breweries as well as some of the best breweries in the country. On the top of many lists of must see cities for the beer enthusiasts, this mountain town is also a mecca for runners, bikers and hikers alike. We are beyond excited to be hosting the Beer City Relay again in 2023, an event that encapsulates running and craft beer. Our host brewery for 2023 is Green Man Brewery. Established in 1997, Green Man Brewing celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2022. They’ve had many years to prefect their beers and you can taste it. The event is meant to be a fun 5k or 10k relay with a team aspect. The course consists of one 5k loop. Teams of 4 will each complete the 5k course 1 time in relay. Teams of 2 will each complete the 5k course twice in relay to run a 10k.Single runners 5k option. Runners will run the 5k loop once and need no other team members.

The event is meant to be a fun 5k or 10k relay with a team aspect.  The course consists of one 5k loop.

Teams of 4 will each complete the 5k course 1 time in relay.

Teams of 2 will each complete the 5k course twice in relay to run a 10k.

Single runners 5k option. Runners will run the 5k loop once and need no other team members.

Race Day – Saturday May 27th

First Wave of Runners starts at – 8:00am

Starting Line  and relay exchange – just across from Green Man’s Green Mansion at 27 Buxton Ave.

Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
May 27 @ 8:30 am
Biltmore Estate

Included with admission

Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.

Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.

Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!