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.
Calling all spoken word artists 15 years or older
ABOUT WORDplay©
WORDplay© is a twelve month slam poetry competition featuring Spoken Word Poets from all over Western North Carolina. Each month ten to twelve Poets will be selected via video submissions, for the chance to compete for Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective’s WORDplay© championship and a $1,000.00 cash prize. The monthly online competition, hosted by local Poets Barbie Angell and Shanita Jackson, is open to regional Poets who are at least 15 years of age. One Poet from each month’s competition will be selected to compete in front of a live audience in the October and November 2021 Semi-Finals. Two remaining Poets will vie for the WORDplay© championship in December 2021. The second place Poet will receive $500.00. Each Semi-Finalist will receive $100.00.
We are accepting submissions for January and February rounds now through November 23, 2020. Selected Poets will be notified by December 23, 2020.
Flat Rock Playhouse is proud to partner with The Breath Project to create an archive of 8 minute and 46 second works of live theater from multidisciplinary theater artists of color who are responding to this moment in history. All submissions that meet the Breath Project guidelines will be featured in the archive, and as partners in the project, CJ Barnwell will be the curator from our theater who will help select pieces from the archive to feature in a virtual festival in Fall 2020. For those who do not have access to video recording equipment, the Playhouse is able to offer the use of the Mainstage and video recording support. If you are interested in recording on the Mainstage, please email [email protected].
To be considered for the Fall 2020 virtual festival, please submit your piece by Sept. 14, 2020. For more information on the submission process, the mission of the Breath Project and other partner theaters, visit www.thebreathproject2020.com.
Pandemic Arts is a series “where performing artists from various genres discuss how the global pandemic is affecting their careers, their creativity, their finances, and their plans for the future.” The FRP episode is live and features a candid interview with Lisa K. Bryant about the history of the Playhouse and the challenges of running a theatre during the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ll also see performances by beloved Vagabonds Matthew Glover, Bill Muñoz, and Scott Treadway. Click here to watch the video!
Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre is a professional theatre company in residence at the historic Owen Theatre on the campus of Mars Hill University. Since its founding in 1975 by visionary director and theatre educator Jim Thomas, SART has produced scores of plays, musicals, and original works, many portraying the rich culture and heritage of Southern Appalachia. After operating for many years as a program of MHU, SART became an independent nonprofit organization in 2003 and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. In recognition of its artistic excellence and cultural importance to the community, SART has received major funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, North Carolina Arts Council, Madison County Arts Council, and the Shubert Foundation. SART also receives major support from Mars Hill University, along with donations and sponsorships from many generous individuals and business owners.
All payments for the silent auction will be made upon the conclusion of item bidding. We will reach out to our top bidders to arrange individual payments. Pick-up of all items will be held at the SART box office, by appointment only. Bidders will be responsible for shipping costs, if needed. Once we conclude the silent auction we will then schedule pickups with the winning bidders.
THANK YOU for your participation!
Use Your Voice – Support The Arts
This May, we made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 season due to COVID-19. The entire industry of live entertainment has been severely impacted by the pandemic, and your support is needed now more than ever by asking your representatives to support the Save Our Stages Act. Click here to easily contact your congressional representatives.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15
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
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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.
4 state exhibit – SC, NC, TN, GA
The entries have been chosen for this year’s annual juried exhibition. Thank you to all who entered.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there will not be an awards reception this year, but we will make the awards announcements online at 11:00am on 26 September.
The exhibit can be viewed in our Solomon Gallery 15 September – 17 October, during normal business hours.
Tues – Sat 10am – 4pm
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.
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.
It is with great excitement that we announce our opening schedule for 2020. We have not been able to reopen since March, when the Covid -19 pandemic hit and North Carolina shut down. Now the State of North Carolina is transitioning into Phase 2.5 of Governor Cooper’s phased reopening plan. Phase 2.5 allows museums to open at 50% capacity. This means the Swannanoa Valley Museum will be open starting Labor Day weekend. We will allow 10 visitors in the museum per hour. Opening hours are Thursday – Saturday from 10am – 5pm. Visitors can sign up on our website for a self-guided tour time or sign up at the museum. We are looking forward to seeing our visitors once more! To book a self-guided tour time click on this link. SVM Self-Guided Tour Reservation
COVID-19 Visiting Policy
Masks are required when entering the museum. This is for the safety of our visitors and our docents. Exceptions will be made according to ADA instructions. Visitors must make a reservation to visit the museum. Self Guided tour reservations are available Thursday – Saturday from 10am – 5pm. To make a reservation you can call (828) 669- 9566, register at the front desk, or click here.
ACCESSIBILITY
The first floor houses our traveling exhibit gallery and our second floor houses “Our Pathways” exhibit. The first and second floor are accessible by ADA standards. A lift is available to take visitors to the second floor.
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.
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.
Presenter: Cynthia Gillooly, Floral Designer at B. B. Barns Garden Center
Program Description: Cynthia demonstrates how to use seasonal plants and grapevine wreaths to create versatile table centerpieces that will decorate your home from Fall, through the holiday season, and into Winter.
Begin with a stroll through your garden to collect natural plant materials. Nature will provide you with a bounty of evergreens, seed pods, mosses, berries, and dried hydrangea blossoms. The simple grapevine wreath will serve as the base for your centerpiece, with the open center becoming the focal point for arranging seasonal plant materials. Cynthia shows you how to incorporate fresh flowers, gorgeous ribbon, or candles. And she shares ways to easily modify your arrangement throughout the changing Fall, Winter, and holiday season.
Join us and have fun exploring your own unique style and creativity with seasonal plant décor.
Bio: Cynthia Gillooly, Floral Designer at B. B. Barns Garden Center, brings decades of both personal and professional experience. She is a talented and interesting speaker who has taught gardening and flower arranging for years. From orchid, flower, and dried arrangements to terrariums, she has the know-how and makes it fun.
Registration: The talk is free, but registration is required. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gardening-in-the-mountains-table-wreath-centerpieces-using-seasonal-plants-registration-94440200181
If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522.
Make ‘em laugh in a musical comedy class combining silliness and song! This virtual class integrates acting, singing, improv, and movement as actors use their voices, bodies, and imaginations to develop hilarious Broadway repertoire. At the end of the semester, students will share their uproarious musical revue in a one-of-a-kind virtual showcase.
Sep. 24 – Nov. 19
3rd – 5th Grades
Weekly Zoom class, one 20-minute private lesson
Instructors: Anna Kimmell, Matthew Glover
Thursdays from 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Sep. 24 – Nov. 19
9th – 12th Grades
Weekly Zoom class, one 20-minute private coaching
Instructors: Anna Kimmell, Matthew Glover
October 8, 15, 22 & 29—Thursdays, 6–8pm
Registration deadline: October 6
This program will take place virtually via Zoom. Space is limited; to register, click here or call 828.253.3227 x122.
In this four-part class, learn how to shoot in manual mode on your digital camera or smartphone. Through a series of weekly assignments, explore the three ways of exposing images (also called the “exposure triangle”), and have more control when shooting motion, depth-of-field, and in extreme lighting situations. Use images from the Museum’s Collection and other sources for inspiration. Class time includes instruction, journaling, group shares, and discussions; individual preparation between classes includes responding to weekly photo prompts and short readings.
This virtual class is designed with beginners, hobbyists, and those with some photography experience in mind. Previous knowledge of digital photography is not needed to participate in and/or benefit from the class. Learning how to use a digital camera is manual mode is the focus; however, the instructor can answer other questions about digital camera functions and use as requested.
This virtual program takes place via Zoom. Space is limited; to register, click here.
Do you love quiz nights as much as we do? Then join us for this fun program! Test your knowledge of the art of entertainment: all things food, drink, and fun in American art, decorative arts, and studio craft. Between rounds, artist duo Josh & Emily Copus collaborate to build a tablescape, and Chef Tony Franco of Food Experience broadcasts live from Perspective Café making savory and sweet fall favorites. Recruit your favorite trivia partner, brush up on your American arts and craft, and get ready to delight your taste buds.
THREE WAYS TO PLAY!
- Make it a friendly competition among those at home with you. Keep track of your answers; correct responses are revealed between rounds. Download your score sheet.
- Play for prizes against other participants logging into Zoom. Submit your answers in real time through polls that appear on your screen (download a score sheet to keep track of your answers at home as well!). The winner will be announced Friday, October 16 on our website and social media.
- Play for prizes against other participants in Perspective Café. Follow along on the small screen, and submit your answers via our score sheet at the end of the evening. The winner will be announced Friday, October 16 on our website and social media. Make your Perspective Café reservation.
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Are you a college student or recent college graduate who’s interested in exploring careers in the arts, museums, or nonprofits? The Museum is now accepting applications for the following intern positions for fall:
- Introduction to Careers in Museum, Culture Organizations, and Nonprofits
- Museum Store
- Visitor Services
- Priority application deadlines November 1 (spring semester). Applications received after these dates may be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
by Tom Risser of Waxhaw, North Carolina
The Caldwell Arts Council and the City of Lenoir, NC seek sculptors to participate in Tucker’s Gallery, an outdoor sculpture sales gallery with three-dimensional artwork mounted in 12 pedestal-planters in downtown Lenoir for up to one year. Artists receive stipends for delivery and retrieval of sculptural art, and sculptures may be sold with 30% commission to the Caldwell Arts Council.
Find application at website.
Calling all spoken word artists 15 years or older
ABOUT WORDplay©
WORDplay© is a twelve month slam poetry competition featuring Spoken Word Poets from all over Western North Carolina. Each month ten to twelve Poets will be selected via video submissions, for the chance to compete for Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective’s WORDplay© championship and a $1,000.00 cash prize. The monthly online competition, hosted by local Poets Barbie Angell and Shanita Jackson, is open to regional Poets who are at least 15 years of age. One Poet from each month’s competition will be selected to compete in front of a live audience in the October and November 2021 Semi-Finals. Two remaining Poets will vie for the WORDplay© championship in December 2021. The second place Poet will receive $500.00. Each Semi-Finalist will receive $100.00.
We are accepting submissions for January and February rounds now through November 23, 2020. Selected Poets will be notified by December 23, 2020.
Flat Rock Playhouse is proud to partner with The Breath Project to create an archive of 8 minute and 46 second works of live theater from multidisciplinary theater artists of color who are responding to this moment in history. All submissions that meet the Breath Project guidelines will be featured in the archive, and as partners in the project, CJ Barnwell will be the curator from our theater who will help select pieces from the archive to feature in a virtual festival in Fall 2020. For those who do not have access to video recording equipment, the Playhouse is able to offer the use of the Mainstage and video recording support. If you are interested in recording on the Mainstage, please email [email protected].
To be considered for the Fall 2020 virtual festival, please submit your piece by Sept. 14, 2020. For more information on the submission process, the mission of the Breath Project and other partner theaters, visit www.thebreathproject2020.com.
SHOP THE ROCK!
Our online gift shop is now open, and just in time for your holiday shopping. T-shirts are available in a variety of colors with Adult and Youth sizing, and we have additional apparel items like sweatshirts, hats, polos, and totes. We have unique gift options like our 50th-anniversary book with a detailed history of Flat Rock Playhouse and prints designed by some of your favorite Vagabonds.
Pandemic Arts is a series “where performing artists from various genres discuss how the global pandemic is affecting their careers, their creativity, their finances, and their plans for the future.” The FRP episode is live and features a candid interview with Lisa K. Bryant about the history of the Playhouse and the challenges of running a theatre during the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ll also see performances by beloved Vagabonds Matthew Glover, Bill Muñoz, and Scott Treadway. Click here to watch the video!
Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre is a professional theatre company in residence at the historic Owen Theatre on the campus of Mars Hill University. Since its founding in 1975 by visionary director and theatre educator Jim Thomas, SART has produced scores of plays, musicals, and original works, many portraying the rich culture and heritage of Southern Appalachia. After operating for many years as a program of MHU, SART became an independent nonprofit organization in 2003 and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. In recognition of its artistic excellence and cultural importance to the community, SART has received major funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, North Carolina Arts Council, Madison County Arts Council, and the Shubert Foundation. SART also receives major support from Mars Hill University, along with donations and sponsorships from many generous individuals and business owners.
All payments for the silent auction will be made upon the conclusion of item bidding. We will reach out to our top bidders to arrange individual payments. Pick-up of all items will be held at the SART box office, by appointment only. Bidders will be responsible for shipping costs, if needed. Once we conclude the silent auction we will then schedule pickups with the winning bidders.
THANK YOU for your participation!