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.
Brilliant Traces is compelling story about two people, Rosannah and Henry, who have both suffered from a series of unfortunate circumstances throughout their lives. One night, after traveling for many days with little to no rest, Rosannah mysteriously shows up on Henry’s doorstep, in Alaska. As Henry and Rosannah begin to open up to one another, they come to the realization that they both have had serious and emotionally complicated lives. Directed by Robert Dale Walker; Starring Shari Azar and Thomas Trauger.
On the culinary side, we have “Dinner Bell” from Taproot Ensemble, a dance, song and storytelling exploration of what you’re not supposed to talk about at the dinner table, southern style. Includes treats from Early Girl Eatery. Lauren French brings us “Intimate Dinner or ‘Tap water is fine'”, a comic solo show about fine dining. A celebrity chef will perform actual cooking demos with audience help. Customers become more demanding, chaos ensues. Will the server keep her cool?
Our Fringe always has a strong dance component and this year is no exception with returning favorites like Yuhas and Company and Stewart Owen Dance, plus 16 other works incorporating dance.
Music will ring out through many shows and, of course, the parties. We have several experimental works, a growing theme over the last few years, including Perspective Collective (“The Pride of Pripyat” an opera about Chernobyl), Matthew Marcum (“Hymns and Oscillations” healing frequencies), and Emmalee Hunnicutt (“Biophilia” multimedia meditation on local green space).
Solo shows, interactive theater, and puppetry abound along with things that defy category, like “Ra Ra RA Da Da Da” a dadaist experiment in avant-garde, marginal, post neo-absurdist after-hours durational variety cabaret! The 18th annual Fringe has something for every weirdo.
Find all the shows, ticketed and free, searchable by venue and date on our newly revamped website AshevilleFringe.org
The enchanting modern classic from Disney is ready for your Broadway Junior stars! Frozen JR. is based on the 2018 Broadway musical, and brings Elsa, Anna, and the magical land of Arendelle to life, onstage. The show features all of the memorable songs from the animated film, with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, plus five new songs written for the Broadway production.
A story of true love and acceptance between sisters, Frozen JR. expands upon the emotional relationship and journey between Princesses Anna and Elsa. When faced with danger, the two discover their hidden potential and the powerful bond of sisterhood. With a cast of beloved characters and loaded with magic, adventure, and plenty of humor, Frozen JR. is sure to thaw even the coldest heart!
For more information on The Frozen Experience, please visit https://www.theapaa.com/frozenjr. There will be no refunds or exchanges for tickets purchased for the incorrect cast.
Comedian Michael Palascak
Live at The Mothlight
Sunday, January 19th
Doors 7pm
Tickets: $15
Michael Palascak was named the 2018 Stand-up of the Year by the Late Nite Last Week podcast for his performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden. He’s also done stand-up on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CONAN, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Letterman, Comedy Central’s HALF HOUR, was a top 5 Finalist on LAST COMIC STANDING, and this past summer he performed at Montreal’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival where he taped a set for Kevin Hart’s LOL network. Norm Macdonald said Michael reminds him, “…of a guy that’s just as funny offstage as on, which is like magic.” Michael’s short film You’re Alive was accepted into numerous festivals including the Hollywood Comedy Shorts Festival and was the winner of the Audience Award at the Chicago Comedy Film Festival.
http://www.michaelpalascak.com/
Featuring James Harrod and Kelly Morgan
Bart is a boisterous puppy at the shelter, and Mabel is a lonely widow. The day they find each other marks the beginning of a profound friendship. But Mabel is old, and Bart is young – and, suddenly, he’s alone. Combining puppetry, live action and animation, New Owner transports audiences to a world full of adventures, told from a dog’s perspective. From the minds of Arielle Gray and Tim Watts, founding members of Australian theatre collective The Last Great Hunt, comes a touching and stunningly beautiful new story about loss, friendship and new beginnings — an up-close and personal experience at the intimate Tina McGuire Theatre.
Retreatants will be invited to pause, to stop running, to stop ‘doing’, to calm minds and bodies and be at ease. During this retreat, the focus is on reconciliation, transformation, healing and how to bring quantitative change in one’s life by the mindfulness practices of walking, eating and sitting meditation, connecting with ancestors, deep listening, loving speech and the practice of touching the earth. A retreat is an opportunity to let go of worry and anxiety about the past and the future, rest, and begin to be present for what is happening in the present moment.
The retreat is being led by Sister True Moon of Clear Grace, a resident nun at Heartwood who received her novice ordination in the Plum Village Vietnamese Zen tradition headed by the Venerable Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Sister Clear Grace shares that, “the practice of mindfulness has been the greatest source of insight and transformation to heal from injustices of all kinds. It has helped me to learn truths and unlearn deeply embedded beliefs that have kept me away from the liberation of such sufferings in my daily life.”
This retreat is suitable for both beginning and experienced mindfulness practitioners. Participants may register to stay at Heartwood or sign up for the commuter option. More information, registration and other retreats at www.heartwoodrefuge.org.
Sister Clear Grace is a member of the Care Taking Council for the Earth Holder Community, a mindful Earth/Social justice initiative in the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism. She is a Core member for ARISE Sangha (Awakening through Race, Intersectionality, and Social Equity), a community of mindfulness practitioners and monastics who come together to heal the wounds of racial injustice and social inequity, beginning with looking deeply within oneself and using energy of compassion, understanding, and love in action.
Heartwood Refuge and Retreat Center, located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, provides interfaith meditation and wellness retreat. Heartwood is neither defined by a single lineage, nor confined by any single sect or practice. Heartwood hosts teachers from all faiths and wisdom traditions to share teachings and activities that promote compassion and clarity, whether through traditional wisdom or new thought.
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
Bring your current needle project and work while socializing with other like-minded crafters
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
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You are invited to get your tickets today, BEFORE they go on sale to the public. Just use the presale password VMAIL to purchase your tickets by Thursday, January 23.
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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
The Mars Hill University Weizenblatt Gallery is showing a collection of works created by North Carolina Glass Center artists. The reception will be held on Wednesday, January 22. You’ll have an opportunity to see the works and to meet and talk with the artists. The exhibition runs daily through February 6.
Weizenblatt Gallery is in the Moore Fine Arts Building on the Mars Hill University campus. As always, the reception and the gallery are free.
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You are invited to get your tickets today, BEFORE they go on sale to the public. Just use the presale password VMAIL to purchase your tickets by Thursday, January 23.
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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
IMPACT! is about humans’ affect on the environment. It embraces our negative impact on the environment, as well as solutions for the problems we have created, success stories and the hope for a better tomorrow. Come join us as we creatively explore this topic. The show encompasses a variety of artists who all have studio spaces in Pink Dog Creative. Each artist takes to this show, a unique way to express and interpret the theme. From oil paintings, to stained glass, to jewelry and much more, each artist uses their own unique styles and creative talents to show how humans have affected the environment in which we live. Exhibiting artists include Joseph Pearson, Karen Brown, Pat Phillips, Patti Anastasi, Lucy Cobos, May Rhea, Sandi McAllen, Ralph Burns, Noel Yovovich, Stephanie Grimes, Leene Hermann, Andrea Kulish and more.
Felicity Hesed’s “Cara Vita: A Clown Concerto” explores the joys, sorrows, and hilarity of contemporary adulthood through music, circus, and magic.
“Felicity Hesed is an absolute delight…as an actor, an aerialist, and physical comedian.
‘Cara Vita’ thoughtfully, playfully, lovingly, joyfully takes us along for the ride.”
– Steve Smith (Emmy Award winner, Clown Hall of Fame inductee, and Big Apple Circus Director)
“Cara Vita” is both a deeply personal and universally human story. Created and performed by Felicity Hesed, this comedy offers a uniquely female perspective on the struggles of maintaining one’s identity in the midst of family life. “Cara Vita: A Clown Concerto” incorporates music, trapeze, and magic to spin a whimsical tale of love and loss. Hesed’s show offers a fresh, female voice in the world of clowning.
“…a hilarious, heartbreaking and sexy piece of clown theater.” – (Jeff Raz, Cirque du Soleil)
San Francisco-based, Felicity Hesed developed this innovative and interactive show in collaboration with award-winning Director Jeff Raz. Felicity Hesed is joined on stage by violinist Clare Armenante who creates an invigorating and masterful soundscape based on Brahms’ Hungarian Dances. The show culminates in a stunning trapeze act, choreographed by master aerialist Elena Panova.
“Felicity Hesed’s ‘Cara Vita’ is a cleverly crafted solo piece incorporating music, clowning and movement into one thoroughly entertaining show. Filled with fun surprises, Hesed’s sharp comic timing will keep you laughing and wondering what will come next. But underneath the silliness is an achingly sincere exploration of marriage and motherhood as seen through the eyes of an artist, asking a question that many can relate to: what happens to your art when life gets in the way?”
– Genie Cartier (Founder of Bow & Arrow Circus Theatre Collective)
“Cara Vita: A Clown Concerto” was developed as part of an Artist Residency at Circus Center in San Francisco. It made its world premiere at the San Francisco International Arts Festival. “Cara Vita” will be on tour in 2020, including performances in San Francisco, Asheville, and London.
La Gaviota Teatro brings their multidisciplinary theatre work “URIKUBU: Language without Frontiers” from Mexico City to the Magnetic Theater. Have you ever seen a dragon being born or met the God of Time? Through puppetry, live music, dance and a language made up just for this show, experience the magic. 3 shows: Thursday, Jan. 23, 7 pm, Friday, Jan. 24 at 5 pm, Saturday, Jan. 25 at 5 pm.
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
La Gaviota Teatro brings their multidisciplinary theatre work “URIKUBU: Language without Frontiers” from Mexico City to the Magnetic Theater. Have you ever seen a dragon being born or met the God of Time? Through puppetry, live music, dance and a language made up just for this show, experience the magic. 3 shows: Thursday, Jan. 23, 7 pm, Friday, Jan. 24 at 5 pm, Saturday, Jan. 25 at 5 pm.
Redirect is an exhibition that critically and philosophically engages with technology, each artist examining the web, social media, mobile devices, or other contemporary technology with a calculated sense of intentionality or caution. Redirect investigates our contemporary digital lives from various perspectives but always with a lens that looks deeper than the surface treatment. Unsearchable former content, spotlights on web censorship, crystallization of load times, and the physical manifestation of unseen systems come together to create a meditation on our present-day technological attachments.
Featuring artists: Conrad Bakker, Victoria Bradbury, Ben Duvall, Janna Dyk, Benjamin Grosser, Joyce Yu-Jean Lee, Jorge Lucero
Opening reception with panel discussion: January 24th, 6-8pm
Felicity Hesed’s “Cara Vita: A Clown Concerto” explores the joys, sorrows, and hilarity of contemporary adulthood through music, circus, and magic.
“Felicity Hesed is an absolute delight…as an actor, an aerialist, and physical comedian.
‘Cara Vita’ thoughtfully, playfully, lovingly, joyfully takes us along for the ride.”
– Steve Smith (Emmy Award winner, Clown Hall of Fame inductee, and Big Apple Circus Director)
“Cara Vita” is both a deeply personal and universally human story. Created and performed by Felicity Hesed, this comedy offers a uniquely female perspective on the struggles of maintaining one’s identity in the midst of family life. “Cara Vita: A Clown Concerto” incorporates music, trapeze, and magic to spin a whimsical tale of love and loss. Hesed’s show offers a fresh, female voice in the world of clowning.
“…a hilarious, heartbreaking and sexy piece of clown theater.” – (Jeff Raz, Cirque du Soleil)
San Francisco-based, Felicity Hesed developed this innovative and interactive show in collaboration with award-winning Director Jeff Raz. Felicity Hesed is joined on stage by violinist Clare Armenante who creates an invigorating and masterful soundscape based on Brahms’ Hungarian Dances. The show culminates in a stunning trapeze act, choreographed by master aerialist Elena Panova.
“Felicity Hesed’s ‘Cara Vita’ is a cleverly crafted solo piece incorporating music, clowning and movement into one thoroughly entertaining show. Filled with fun surprises, Hesed’s sharp comic timing will keep you laughing and wondering what will come next. But underneath the silliness is an achingly sincere exploration of marriage and motherhood as seen through the eyes of an artist, asking a question that many can relate to: what happens to your art when life gets in the way?”
– Genie Cartier (Founder of Bow & Arrow Circus Theatre Collective)
“Cara Vita: A Clown Concerto” was developed as part of an Artist Residency at Circus Center in San Francisco. It made its world premiere at the San Francisco International Arts Festival. “Cara Vita” will be on tour in 2020, including performances in San Francisco, Asheville, and London.
It’s the “Flying Catastrophe Circus“! Aerial arts! Juggling! Cats on roller skates! Tap dancing contortion! Nine circus artists bring you a show overflowing with laughter, thrill and imagination. 25-minutes of non-stop fun and child-like wonder. 2 FREE shows at Empyrean Arts, Friday, Jan. 24 at 7 pm, Saturday, Jan. 25 at 5 pm.
Brilliant Traces is compelling story about two people, Rosannah and Henry, who have both suffered from a series of unfortunate circumstances throughout their lives. One night, after traveling for many days with little to no rest, Rosannah mysteriously shows up on Henry’s doorstep, in Alaska. As Henry and Rosannah begin to open up to one another, they come to the realization that they both have had serious and emotionally complicated lives. Directed by Robert Dale Walker; Starring Shari Azar and Thomas Trauger.
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 …
Participate in one of the Asheville Hot Chocolate Races and enjoy a steaming cup of cocoa from French Broad Chocolates after completing your race, 5k and 10k are chip timed, 1K Kids Hill Climb and Marshmallow Dash are untimed fun runs for ages 12 and under.
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
What begins as an innocent exploration of an old home, winds up taking siblings Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter far beyond their wildest imaginations, as they step through a huge wardrobe, into a land where an evil witch has taken control and misery reigns. They soon realize they haven’t arrived in Narnia by chance, but have been brought here to play a very important part in restoring natural order and keeping the peace in this magical land.
By demonstrating love, keeping faith and showing courage, the children find they have the power triumph over evil and return Narnia to its rightful leader. Children and adults alike will be enthralled by this classic C.S. Lewis story.
From the story by C.S. Lewis; Dramatized by Joseph Robinette; Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois
Most enjoyed by children, ages 5 and up.
Visit scchildrenstheatre.org for further details.
What begins as an innocent exploration of an old home, winds up taking siblings Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter far beyond their wildest imaginations, as they step through a huge wardrobe, into a land where an evil witch has taken control and misery reigns. They soon realize they haven’t arrived in Narnia by chance, but have been brought here to play a very important part in restoring natural order and keeping the peace in this magical land.
By demonstrating love, keeping faith and showing courage, the children find they have the power triumph over evil and return Narnia to its rightful leader. Children and adults alike will be enthralled by this classic C.S. Lewis story.
From the story by C.S. Lewis; Dramatized by Joseph Robinette; Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois
Most enjoyed by children, ages 5 and up.
It’s the “Flying Catastrophe Circus“! Aerial arts! Juggling! Cats on roller skates! Tap dancing contortion! Nine circus artists bring you a show overflowing with laughter, thrill and imagination. 25-minutes of non-stop fun and child-like wonder. 2 FREE shows at Empyrean Arts, Friday, Jan. 24 at 7 pm, Saturday, Jan. 25 at 5 pm.