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.

Sunday, October 18, 2020
Audubon Alongside Contemporary Art in Exhibition
Oct 18 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Adonna Khare, Pool Party, 2015, carbon pencil on paper, 6 × 20 feet. Collection of the Artist. © Adonna Khare, image Phil Hatten.

An exhibition highlighting the works of John James Audubon juxtaposed with the work of 21st-century artists who continue his tradition of animal allegories and metaphors is currently on view at the Asheville Art Museum. The exhibition features more than 40 works and will be on display in the Explore Asheville Exhibition Hall through November 30.

Portrait Sessions Give Back To The Flat Rock Playhouse
Oct 18 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Porch Portraits by Suzanne

 

Porch-Portraits-Cover.jpg

Best of all, Porch Portraits by Suzanne will donate $15 of every session to our great friends at Flat Rock Playhouse. My goal is to raise $15,000 for the Playhouse by the end of the year so any money over and above the price of $65 will go straight to them.

Perhaps most exciting, an extremely generous Playhouse donor has agreed to a MATCHING GIFT CAMPAIGN up to $36,000.18! This incredibly generous donation draws on the magic of Chai, the Jewish belief that multiples of 18 bring good luck. Meaning that every session booked will result in at least $30 for the wonderful folks at Flat Rock Playhouse.

For decades, Flat Rock Playhouse has been opening their collective hearts and sharing their fabulous talents to bring joy and entertainment to western North Carolina. This is an opportunity to show our gratitude at a time when they really need our support.

Together, let’s make magic happen! Help us kick off this campaign by contributing today.

“SHE” Exhibition at Bender Gallery
Oct 18 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Bender Gallery
Beach
64 x 40 x 2″
We hope this finds everyone doing well during these unprecedented times. Bender Gallery is reaching out to our followers as a reminder to visit the gallery to experience “SHE”, an extraordinary solo exhibition of acrylic, charcoal, and mixed media paintings on board by figure artist Kim Goldfarb. If you are not able to visit the gallery in person, you may view a virtual tour of the exhibition on our website.
Goldfarb paints expressive portraits of women and girls that connect to the viewer on an emotional level. She paints intuitively with an effortless easy gestural control allowing her to impart something of her emotion or state of mind in each of her paintings. Kim’s works are a tribute to feminism and its powerful mystification. The subjects are strong and confident and are informed by the artist’s own life experiences.
“SHE” runs through November 2 during regular business hours. We truly hope that you will take the time to see Kim Goldfarb’s special and emotive works.
Monday, October 19, 2020
Bucket List: Guide to Art Institutions in WNC
Oct 19 all-day
WNC

Bucket List: Guide to Art Institutions in WNC
Western North Carolina is known as the artist’s enclave of the Southeast—but where should we layfolk go to enjoy the fruits of these labors? Here’s our guide to enjoying art—painted, sculpted, sketched, and otherwise crafted—across the region.

 

Online Education Series – From Mountain Crafts to Arts and Crafts
Oct 19 all-day
Online

When Charlotte Yale and Eleanor Vance arrived in Biltmore Village in 1901, they had no idea how many hundreds of young men and women they would influence over the course of the next fifty years. Together they lead Biltmore Estate Industries and Tryon Toymakers and Woodcarvers into nationally respected Arts and Crafts enterprises, providing young men and women with critical skills in woodworking, woodcarving, toy making, and weaving. This three-part video prepared by author Bruce Johnson traces their lives and their influences, offering a glimpse into their dedication to improving the lives of area young men and women.
“Find Your Color” Photo Contest Chimney Rock
Oct 19 @ 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Chimney Rock Park

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Fall “Find Your Color” Photo Contest

Time: Park hours
Cost: No additional cost to enter.

It’s during this time of year that the mountains explode with color. Capture photos of the fall season and enter them into our “Find Your Color” Photo Contest. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.

GREAT PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO 3 WINNING ENTRIES

Winners will be notified and announced on Chimney Rock’s social media channels. F

“SHE” Exhibition at Bender Gallery
Oct 19 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Bender Gallery
Beach
64 x 40 x 2″
We hope this finds everyone doing well during these unprecedented times. Bender Gallery is reaching out to our followers as a reminder to visit the gallery to experience “SHE”, an extraordinary solo exhibition of acrylic, charcoal, and mixed media paintings on board by figure artist Kim Goldfarb. If you are not able to visit the gallery in person, you may view a virtual tour of the exhibition on our website.
Goldfarb paints expressive portraits of women and girls that connect to the viewer on an emotional level. She paints intuitively with an effortless easy gestural control allowing her to impart something of her emotion or state of mind in each of her paintings. Kim’s works are a tribute to feminism and its powerful mystification. The subjects are strong and confident and are informed by the artist’s own life experiences.
“SHE” runs through November 2 during regular business hours. We truly hope that you will take the time to see Kim Goldfarb’s special and emotive works.
73rd Southern Highlands Craft Fair
Oct 19 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Harrah's Cherokee Center

_____________________________________________________

73rd Anniversary
Summer Edition, July 16-19 | (Fall Edition, October 15-18)
Thursday – Saturday, 10:00am to 6:00pm
Sunday, 10:00am to 5:00pm

General Admission, $10.00 a day
Children under 12 free

In its 73rd year, the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands returns to downtown at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville. Filling both the concourse and arena levels of the venue, makers exhibit a variety of craft ranging from contemporary to traditional in works of clay, wood, metal, glass, fiber, natural materials, paper, leather, mixed media, and jewelry.

Light Up State Street Community Pumpkin Carving Contest
Oct 19 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Black Mountain Center for the Arts

Light up State Street.png

Help us Light Up State Street and fill our beautiful downtown with Halloween Cheer with this community pumpkin carving contest! All ages are invited to participate. Children (under 15) are $5 to register, and adults (15 or older) are $10. Pumpkins must be dropped off at BMCA on Tuesday, October 27 or Wednesday, October 28. BMCA will display and illuminate the pumpkins on State Street Thursday, October 29 through Saturday, October 31st. Winners will be chosen in both age groups for 4 different categories: scariest (must be family friendly), funniest, most creative, and art(ist) inspired​​. Participants must procure their own pumpkin.

THE YEAR 2020 – An Interactive Art Project
Oct 19 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Mountain Made Art Gallery

2020 A YEAR OF COVID, TURMOIL, UNCERTAINTIES, HEROES & HOPE

The year 2020 for better or worse will go down in American history as a pivotal moment. It has been often said that history is written for and by the victors.

But nowadays in a world overwhelmed with 2-second tweets, forgettable social media, conspiracy theories and online rages; modern history seems to be written by the distracted, the delusional and the destructive.

Mountain Made, a local arts & crafts boutique in Grove Arcade, is taking a different approach. We are creating a public history journal of poetry, personal musing, thoughtful insights and yes, rants on “The Year 2020”. They could be funny or serious.

We have setup two interactive art stations inside the gallery:

* The first one is where you can quickly put down your thoughts on some blank paper (the original “i-pad”) and leave it with us.

* The other is a shared, public painting series where you can lay brush to canvas if you are more a visual person.

Audubon Alongside Contemporary Art in Exhibition
Oct 19 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Adonna Khare, Pool Party, 2015, carbon pencil on paper, 6 × 20 feet. Collection of the Artist. © Adonna Khare, image Phil Hatten.

An exhibition highlighting the works of John James Audubon juxtaposed with the work of 21st-century artists who continue his tradition of animal allegories and metaphors is currently on view at the Asheville Art Museum. The exhibition features more than 40 works and will be on display in the Explore Asheville Exhibition Hall through November 30.

Art Class: Still Life at Home
Oct 19 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Online

October 19, 26, November 2 & 9 (make-up, if needed: November 16)—Mondays, 6–8pm
Registration deadline: October 12
This program takes place virtually via Zoom. Space is limited; to register, click here or call 828.253.3227 x122.

Stuck at home? Let’s make art. This four-part class builds on drawing basics and increases understanding of what it takes to create an image with a high level of realism and believability. Utilizing household items, this class allows for a controlled environment that students can create at home plus deep-dives into specific focus and practice. If you have a regular drawing practice but feel uncertain about how to get to the next level, this class can guide and hone your skills.

Instructor Anthony Pulitano is a freelance illustrator, designer, and portrait painter. He holds an undergraduate degree in illustration from the Ringling College of Art & Design, and a graduate certificate in traditional drawing and painting from the Florence (Italy) Academy of Art.

Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Bucket List: Guide to Art Institutions in WNC
Oct 20 all-day
WNC

Bucket List: Guide to Art Institutions in WNC
Western North Carolina is known as the artist’s enclave of the Southeast—but where should we layfolk go to enjoy the fruits of these labors? Here’s our guide to enjoying art—painted, sculpted, sketched, and otherwise crafted—across the region.

 

Mandala Paintings by Jane Hennessy
Oct 20 all-day
Online

Waltzing in Vienna

My mother has exclusively created these stunning wood panel paintings with exquisite detail and depth, perfect for any home! They come ready to hang with wire and have painted sides, along with standing ‘off the wall’ with a classic gallery depth of 2 inches. Please look at the detail of each photo to see how some of them are ‘raised’ a bit with her magical painting technique. For the amount of work these took, they are priced to sell! Uplift the energy in your home just in time for the holiday season.

Online Education Series – From Mountain Crafts to Arts and Crafts
Oct 20 all-day
Online

When Charlotte Yale and Eleanor Vance arrived in Biltmore Village in 1901, they had no idea how many hundreds of young men and women they would influence over the course of the next fifty years. Together they lead Biltmore Estate Industries and Tryon Toymakers and Woodcarvers into nationally respected Arts and Crafts enterprises, providing young men and women with critical skills in woodworking, woodcarving, toy making, and weaving. This three-part video prepared by author Bruce Johnson traces their lives and their influences, offering a glimpse into their dedication to improving the lives of area young men and women.
“Find Your Color” Photo Contest Chimney Rock
Oct 20 @ 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Chimney Rock Park

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Fall “Find Your Color” Photo Contest

Time: Park hours
Cost: No additional cost to enter.

It’s during this time of year that the mountains explode with color. Capture photos of the fall season and enter them into our “Find Your Color” Photo Contest. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.

GREAT PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO 3 WINNING ENTRIES

Winners will be notified and announced on Chimney Rock’s social media channels. F

“SHE” Exhibition at Bender Gallery
Oct 20 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Bender Gallery
Beach
64 x 40 x 2″
We hope this finds everyone doing well during these unprecedented times. Bender Gallery is reaching out to our followers as a reminder to visit the gallery to experience “SHE”, an extraordinary solo exhibition of acrylic, charcoal, and mixed media paintings on board by figure artist Kim Goldfarb. If you are not able to visit the gallery in person, you may view a virtual tour of the exhibition on our website.
Goldfarb paints expressive portraits of women and girls that connect to the viewer on an emotional level. She paints intuitively with an effortless easy gestural control allowing her to impart something of her emotion or state of mind in each of her paintings. Kim’s works are a tribute to feminism and its powerful mystification. The subjects are strong and confident and are informed by the artist’s own life experiences.
“SHE” runs through November 2 during regular business hours. We truly hope that you will take the time to see Kim Goldfarb’s special and emotive works.
Light Up State Street Community Pumpkin Carving Contest
Oct 20 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Black Mountain Center for the Arts

Light up State Street.png

Help us Light Up State Street and fill our beautiful downtown with Halloween Cheer with this community pumpkin carving contest! All ages are invited to participate. Children (under 15) are $5 to register, and adults (15 or older) are $10. Pumpkins must be dropped off at BMCA on Tuesday, October 27 or Wednesday, October 28. BMCA will display and illuminate the pumpkins on State Street Thursday, October 29 through Saturday, October 31st. Winners will be chosen in both age groups for 4 different categories: scariest (must be family friendly), funniest, most creative, and art(ist) inspired​​. Participants must procure their own pumpkin.

THE YEAR 2020 – An Interactive Art Project
Oct 20 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Mountain Made Art Gallery

2020 A YEAR OF COVID, TURMOIL, UNCERTAINTIES, HEROES & HOPE

The year 2020 for better or worse will go down in American history as a pivotal moment. It has been often said that history is written for and by the victors.

But nowadays in a world overwhelmed with 2-second tweets, forgettable social media, conspiracy theories and online rages; modern history seems to be written by the distracted, the delusional and the destructive.

Mountain Made, a local arts & crafts boutique in Grove Arcade, is taking a different approach. We are creating a public history journal of poetry, personal musing, thoughtful insights and yes, rants on “The Year 2020”. They could be funny or serious.

We have setup two interactive art stations inside the gallery:

* The first one is where you can quickly put down your thoughts on some blank paper (the original “i-pad”) and leave it with us.

* The other is a shared, public painting series where you can lay brush to canvas if you are more a visual person.

Asheville Art Museum: New Exhibition Question Bridge: Black Males
Oct 20 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Beginning October 7, the three-hour documentary-styled art installation Question Bridge: Black Males will be on view at the Asheville Art Museum. This innovative transmedia project facilitates a dialogue between Black men from diverse and contending backgrounds, and creates a platform for them to represent and redefine Black male identity in America. The work will be on view during regular public hours from October 7, 2020 through March 15, 2021.

Question Bridge: Black Males is a project that explores critically challenging issues within the African American male community by instigating a transmedia conversation among Black men across geographic, economic, generational, educational, and social strata of American society. Question Bridge provides a safe setting for necessary, honest expression and healing dialogue on themes that divide, unite, and puzzle Black males today in the United States.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Bucket List: Guide to Art Institutions in WNC
Oct 21 all-day
WNC

Bucket List: Guide to Art Institutions in WNC
Western North Carolina is known as the artist’s enclave of the Southeast—but where should we layfolk go to enjoy the fruits of these labors? Here’s our guide to enjoying art—painted, sculpted, sketched, and otherwise crafted—across the region.

 

Mandala Paintings by Jane Hennessy
Oct 21 all-day
Online

Waltzing in Vienna

My mother has exclusively created these stunning wood panel paintings with exquisite detail and depth, perfect for any home! They come ready to hang with wire and have painted sides, along with standing ‘off the wall’ with a classic gallery depth of 2 inches. Please look at the detail of each photo to see how some of them are ‘raised’ a bit with her magical painting technique. For the amount of work these took, they are priced to sell! Uplift the energy in your home just in time for the holiday season.

Online Education Series – From Mountain Crafts to Arts and Crafts
Oct 21 all-day
Online

When Charlotte Yale and Eleanor Vance arrived in Biltmore Village in 1901, they had no idea how many hundreds of young men and women they would influence over the course of the next fifty years. Together they lead Biltmore Estate Industries and Tryon Toymakers and Woodcarvers into nationally respected Arts and Crafts enterprises, providing young men and women with critical skills in woodworking, woodcarving, toy making, and weaving. This three-part video prepared by author Bruce Johnson traces their lives and their influences, offering a glimpse into their dedication to improving the lives of area young men and women.
“Find Your Color” Photo Contest Chimney Rock
Oct 21 @ 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Chimney Rock Park

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Fall “Find Your Color” Photo Contest

Time: Park hours
Cost: No additional cost to enter.

It’s during this time of year that the mountains explode with color. Capture photos of the fall season and enter them into our “Find Your Color” Photo Contest. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.

GREAT PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO 3 WINNING ENTRIES

Winners will be notified and announced on Chimney Rock’s social media channels. F

“SHE” Exhibition at Bender Gallery
Oct 21 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Bender Gallery
Beach
64 x 40 x 2″
We hope this finds everyone doing well during these unprecedented times. Bender Gallery is reaching out to our followers as a reminder to visit the gallery to experience “SHE”, an extraordinary solo exhibition of acrylic, charcoal, and mixed media paintings on board by figure artist Kim Goldfarb. If you are not able to visit the gallery in person, you may view a virtual tour of the exhibition on our website.
Goldfarb paints expressive portraits of women and girls that connect to the viewer on an emotional level. She paints intuitively with an effortless easy gestural control allowing her to impart something of her emotion or state of mind in each of her paintings. Kim’s works are a tribute to feminism and its powerful mystification. The subjects are strong and confident and are informed by the artist’s own life experiences.
“SHE” runs through November 2 during regular business hours. We truly hope that you will take the time to see Kim Goldfarb’s special and emotive works.
Light Up State Street Community Pumpkin Carving Contest
Oct 21 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Black Mountain Center for the Arts

Light up State Street.png

Help us Light Up State Street and fill our beautiful downtown with Halloween Cheer with this community pumpkin carving contest! All ages are invited to participate. Children (under 15) are $5 to register, and adults (15 or older) are $10. Pumpkins must be dropped off at BMCA on Tuesday, October 27 or Wednesday, October 28. BMCA will display and illuminate the pumpkins on State Street Thursday, October 29 through Saturday, October 31st. Winners will be chosen in both age groups for 4 different categories: scariest (must be family friendly), funniest, most creative, and art(ist) inspired​​. Participants must procure their own pumpkin.

THE YEAR 2020 – An Interactive Art Project
Oct 21 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Mountain Made Art Gallery

2020 A YEAR OF COVID, TURMOIL, UNCERTAINTIES, HEROES & HOPE

The year 2020 for better or worse will go down in American history as a pivotal moment. It has been often said that history is written for and by the victors.

But nowadays in a world overwhelmed with 2-second tweets, forgettable social media, conspiracy theories and online rages; modern history seems to be written by the distracted, the delusional and the destructive.

Mountain Made, a local arts & crafts boutique in Grove Arcade, is taking a different approach. We are creating a public history journal of poetry, personal musing, thoughtful insights and yes, rants on “The Year 2020”. They could be funny or serious.

We have setup two interactive art stations inside the gallery:

* The first one is where you can quickly put down your thoughts on some blank paper (the original “i-pad”) and leave it with us.

* The other is a shared, public painting series where you can lay brush to canvas if you are more a visual person.

Asheville Art Museum: New Exhibition Question Bridge: Black Males
Oct 21 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Beginning October 7, the three-hour documentary-styled art installation Question Bridge: Black Males will be on view at the Asheville Art Museum. This innovative transmedia project facilitates a dialogue between Black men from diverse and contending backgrounds, and creates a platform for them to represent and redefine Black male identity in America. The work will be on view during regular public hours from October 7, 2020 through March 15, 2021.

Question Bridge: Black Males is a project that explores critically challenging issues within the African American male community by instigating a transmedia conversation among Black men across geographic, economic, generational, educational, and social strata of American society. Question Bridge provides a safe setting for necessary, honest expression and healing dialogue on themes that divide, unite, and puzzle Black males today in the United States.

Audubon Alongside Contemporary Art in Exhibition
Oct 21 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Adonna Khare, Pool Party, 2015, carbon pencil on paper, 6 × 20 feet. Collection of the Artist. © Adonna Khare, image Phil Hatten.

An exhibition highlighting the works of John James Audubon juxtaposed with the work of 21st-century artists who continue his tradition of animal allegories and metaphors is currently on view at the Asheville Art Museum. The exhibition features more than 40 works and will be on display in the Explore Asheville Exhibition Hall through November 30.

in place of pleasing – 5 Artists in Conversation with Diana Stoll
Oct 21 @ 7:00 pm
Online


(Artists from left to right: Joyce Thornburg, Denise Carbonell, Helen Robinson, and Molly Sawyer (standing with Nava Lubelski’s paintings)

Join us for insightful discussion with the five artists of the RAMP Gallery exhibition of “in place of pleasing” moderated by the writer Diana Stoll with Colby Caldwell.