Calendar of Events

Throughout the history of painting from the mid-19th century forward, artists have used an endless variety of approaches to record their world. Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing, and Painting continues this thread, offering an opportunity to explore a singular and still forceful aspect of American art. Photorealism shares many of the approaches of historical and modernist realism, with a twist. The use of the camera as a basic tool for organizing visual information in advance of painterly expression is now quite common, but Photorealists embraced the camera as the focal point in their creative process. Beyond the Lens presents key works from the collection of Louis K. and Susan Pear Meisel, bringing together paintings and works on paper dating from the 1970s to the present to focus on this profoundly influential art movement. The exhibition includes work by highly acclaimed formative artists of the movement such as Charles Bell, Robert Bechtle, Tom Blackwell, Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, and Ralph Goings as well as paintings by the successive generations of Photorealist artists Anthony Brunelli, Davis Cone, Bertrand Meniel, Rod Penner, and Raphaella Spence. Featured artworks in the exhibition include diverse subject matters, but the primary focus is on the common and every day: urban scenes, “portraits” of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, still life compositions using toys, food, candy wrappers, and salt and pepper shakers. All provide opportunities for virtuoso studies in how light, reflection, and the camera as intermediary shapes our perception of the material world. This multigenerational survey demonstrates how the 35-mm camera, and later technological advances in digital image-making, informed and impacted the painterly gesture. Taken together, the paintings and works on paper in Beyond the Lens show how simply spellbinding these virtuosic works of art can be. “Beyond the Lens offers a fascinating look into the Photorealism movement and delves into the profound connection between the artists’ observation and creative process,” says Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of Asheville Art Museum. “We are delighted to present this curated collection of artworks encapsulating the creative vision and technical precision that defines this artistic genre.” Photorealism found its roots in the late 1960s in California and New York, coexisting with an explosion of new ideas in art-making that included Conceptual, Pop, Minimalism, Land and Performance Art. At first, representational realism coexisted with the thematic and conceptual explosion but was eventually relegated to the margins regarding critical and curatorial attention. Often misunderstood and sometimes negatively criticized or lampooned as a betrayal of modernism’s commitment to abstraction, the artists involved in Photorealism remained committed explorers of the trail they had blazed. In the decades of the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century, realistic and symbolic painting experienced a renaissance, as contemporary artists are increasingly drawn to narrative and storytelling. Concurrently, using a camera as a preparatory tool equally legitimate and valuable as pencils and pens has made the rubric of Photorealism increasingly relevant. This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and guest curated by Terrie Sultan. This exhibition is sponsored in part by Jim and Julia Calkins Peterson.

HAYRIDES – Brought to you by Project HNG our sister nonprofit! Proceeds go to Project HNG. Suitable for all ages, babies in arms are free, 16 people per ride.

Availability: every Saturday & Sunday starting September 2nd through November 11th. 11am-4pm, last ride goes out at 3:30pm. May be cancelled due to tremendous weather conditions.

Every Friday from April through November (weather permitting),
check out the Hike and Sip Tour at Souther Williams Vineyard, a unique opportunity to hike our scenic rolling vineyards and enjoy
five different wines along the way, led by a private tour guide who will share the history of the farm and while you hike through the
vines, This educational experience will delight as you live the life of grape throughout its annual pilgrimage to the glass, This 1
hour tour requires moderate walking through hillside vineyards and appropriate farm/field attire, and can accommodate up to 12
people and reservations are required 2 days in advance, $50 per person, Souther Williams Vineyard, Hendersonville,

PONY RIDES – Brought to you by Project HNG our sister nonprofit! Proceeds go to Project HNG. Suitable for young children, supervision and helmets provided. If you’re interested in riding lessons or trail rides please reach out to [email protected]

Availability: every Saturday & Sunday starting September 2nd through November 11th. 11am-3pm. May be cancelled due to tremendous weather conditions

Romare Bearden (Charlotte, NC 1911–1988 New York, NY), African American writer and artist, is renowned for his collages. He constantly experimented with various techniques to achieve his artistic goals throughout his career. This exhibition highlights works on paper and explores his most frequently used mediums, including screen-printing, lithography, hand-colored etching, collagraph, monotype, relief print, photomontage, and collage.

Bearden’s work reflects his improvisational approach to his practice. He considered his process akin to that of jazz and blues composers. Starting with an open mind, he would let an idea evolve spontaneously.

“Romare Bearden: Ways of Working highlights Bearden’s unique artistic practice and masterful storytelling through art,” says Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of the Asheville Art Museum. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Jerald Melberg Gallery to present these extraordinary works on paper in conversation with Bearden’s collage Sunset Express, 1984 in the Museum Collection (on view in the Museum’s SECU Collection Hall). This exhibition will also provide a glimpse into the cultural histories and personal interests that influenced his art-making practice, and we hope it encourages introspection and dialogue with our visitors.”

Jerald Melberg states, “Romare Bearden’s groundbreaking artistic practice continues to captivate audiences worldwide. With an unparalleled legacy of creativity and innovation, Bearden’s contributions to art remain deeply influential years beyond his life.” We have enjoyed organizing this exhibition with the Asheville Art Museum to showcase his artistic genius and inspire visitors from the Western North Carolina region and beyond.”

This exhibition is made possible in part by the Judy Appleton Fund. Many thanks to the Jerald Melberg Gallery for the loan of these important artworks and to Mary and Jerald Melberg for their long-standing support of the arts, artists, and the Asheville Art Museum.

Sandburg Home Tours – Thursday to Sunday at 11am, 1pm, 2pm.

*As of April 2022, tours are free until further notice. See rates below if they change before your visit. Online reservations are available at recreation.gov.

The Sandburg Home is a great place to start your visit! The ground floor of the home contains visitor information, exhibits, tour ticket sales, the park store, and you can watch the park video. The main and top level of the home are furnished with the Sandburg family belongings. Visitors may only access the furnished ares of the home on a guided tour.

• Tour Reservations: Reserving in advance lets you pick your preferred house tour time. Tours fill up quickly. Last-minute, in-person tickets may not be available on the day you visit. Plan ahead and reserve house tour tickets at recreation.gov.

• Passes: The park does not currently sell the America the Beautiful– National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes.
  *These passes do not waive the house tour fee, but do provide a discount.
  *You can purchase a pass online at America the Beautiful – National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass | USGS Store.
• 30-minute house tours are offered year-round, schedule varies by season. Visit recreation.gov for the current schedule.
• Visitors may only tour the Sandburg Home on a guided tour.
• Tours are limited to 6 persons.
• Strollers are not permitted on the house tour, but there is a place to leave them for storage. Infants and small children should be carried through the house while on tour.

  Sandburg Home Guided Tour Fee
  *Tours are free until further notice, this chart is the rate when fees resume.
  (credit card only)
  $10.00 for Adults 16 and older
  $6.00 for Adults age 62 and older and all interagency pass holders
  Free for Children age 15 and under

The Art of Food features works from important postwar artists, like Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, John Baldessari, Wayne Thiebaud, Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, David Hockney, and Jasper Johns, alongside the work of contemporary artists, like Alison Saar, Lorna Simpson, Enrique Chagoya, Rachel Whiteread, and Jenny Holzer, among others. The Art of Food features more than 100 works in mediums that include drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, and ceramics by 37 artists. Each artist has a unique means of depicting food in their work that, when seen alongside others, creates a nuanced representation of the complex place food holds in everyday life. Cross-historical resonances between artists in the exhibition spark novel meditations on food and its discontents, while speaking to a broad range of audiences.

Included with admission

Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:

• An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
• A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
• Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels

Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.

Food Scraps Drop Off

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in

two locations for all Buncombe County residents.  This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Register for Food Scraps Drop Off

Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin?  Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.

Locations

Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

• • Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.

Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

• • Dawn – Dusk

West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

Library open hours

Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander

• • • • Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
      • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm

Basketball

Open Play

Time scheduled for organized drop-in, pick-up, and open community games

Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, starts September 5

• Tuesday and Thursday, 6:30-9 p.m.
• Sunday, 12-5 p.m.

Join Blue Ridge Roller Derby as we kick off our home team season on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023 at the Smoky Mountain Event Center with our Blocktoberfest Bout! This full-length roller derby game will feature a matchup between two of our league home teams, The Black Balsam Batties and The Swarm. Doors open at 1 p.m. with the first whistle at 2 p.m. Come out and support local roller derby! Tickets at $10 for ages 12 and up, free for kids 11 and under and can be purchased online or at the door.

Our Black Box series continues as we welcome to the stage the magnificent work of William Shakespeare. Surrender to a haunting story of ambition and its dark consequences, as a military hero and his wife conspire to seize political power. A terrifyingly prophetic tale of revenge, murder, and madness, Macbeth lays bare the fallout when the darkest side of humanity cheats its way into a position of power.  One of Shakespeare’s bloodiest, scariest, and yet, most popular tragedies.

The Perspective Café is kicking off 2023 with a classic bang! Grab your friends and join us each Sunday from 2pm to 5pm in the Perspective Café to play an assortment of board and card games. You can even bring your own favorite games from home to share with new friends.

The Perspective Café will be offering special snacks and cocktails to savor while you play and make a memorable afternoon! Enjoy the galleries and then head up to the rooftop.

Step into a world of magic, mystery, and self-discovery with the Tony Award-winning musical, Pippin. This Broadway classic, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Roger O. Hirson, tells the captivating story of a young prince on a daring quest for the ultimate meaning of life and fulfillment. From spectacular circus-inspired performances to stirring, emotionally-charged songs, “Pippin” unfolds as an exploration of the highs and lows of glory, love, and ambition. It’s a compelling narrative that continually asks one poignant question: is it more rewarding to live a simple life or to persist in relentlessly pursuing extraordinary feats? With its rich, allegorical storyline and memorable melodies, Pippin promises to enchant audiences, leaving them musing long after the final curtain call.

A talkback with the cast & crew of Pippin will be held following the performances on September 17th & 24th.

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session 

Sundays

1 till who knows when?

Traditional Irish music is kept alive at Jack of the Wood with our unplugged Sunday session.

Jack of the Wood

95 Patton ave

Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 252.5445

http://www.jackofthewood.com/

John Devlin, conductor
Christylez Bacon, beatbox and rap
Caroline Shaw: Entr’acte
Evan Meier/Christylez Bacon: Migrations in Rhythm: A Concerto for Beatbox and Rhyme
Dmitry Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte is a Haydn-inspired strings-rich piece that will pull you in. It’s what critic James Bennett called “juicy and ebullient…culminating with a succession of full-bellied chords that I may one day make my ringtone.”

Washington DC native and Duke Ellington School for the Arts alum beatboxer Christylez Bacon has created something totally new with this intersection of symphonic and hip hop tradition. You may have seen this Grammy nominee onstage with the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center.  He says, “The music is the lure and the lyric is the education that will destroy the many barriers that prevent us from recognizing our connections with each other.”

Soviet composer Dmitry Shostakovich premiered his fifth symphony in 1937 to overwhelming acclaim, with the audience standing to applaud for more than 40 minutes. This darkly dramatic work is the best one to start with if you’re experiencing Shosty (as musicians have nick-named him) for the first time. A simple internet search will reveal more details of the political turmoil surrounding Shostakovich’s previous compositions and the safety he reclaimed after writing this symphony, so do yourself a favor and dig in to what it was like to be an artist in 1930s Leningrad.

CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR & GUEST ARTIST

THE SPLATTER PLAY
By Abby Auman
Directed by Jessica Johnson

It’s the day of the open house for Tina’s childhood home, which also happens to be her deceased mother’s evil laboratory. Determined to turn the terrors of the lab into selling points, Tina and her optimistic realtor parade a cast of unsavory potential buyers through the home, tormented all the while by the resident creepies and crawlies who aren’t quite as ready to move on as Tina would hope. *Note: there will be blood, so much blood.

By Abby Auman
Directed by Jessica Johnson

It’s the day of the open house for Tina’s childhood home, which also happens to be her deceased mother’s evil laboratory. Determined to turn the terrors of the lab into selling points, Tina and her optimistic realtor parade a cast of unsavory potential buyers through the home, tormented all the while by the resident creepies and crawlies who aren’t quite as ready to move on as Tina would hope. *Note: this is an immersive experience and there will be blood, so much blood.

**Content notification: language; violence; blood; gore; strobe light effects; audience-immersive scenes that may include audience members being splattered with stage blood and gore.

JEFF SIPE BIO

Four-time Grammy nominee

Jeff Sipe, an alumni of Berklee College of Music and Shenandoah Conservatory of Music, Sipe has been recording, touring and teaching professionally since 1982.

Jeff wrote a book entitled

Rhythm Patterns for Drum Set

Available at jeffsipemusic.com

Jeff has toured and recorded with many highly renowned artists such as;

*John Mclaughlin (Meeting of the Spirits tour songs from the Mahavishnu Orchestra)

*Warren Haynes

*Bela Fleck

*Phil Lesh & Friends

*Jimmy Herring Band

* Trey Anistasio Band

Sarah Siskind & guest Bill Frisell

*Susan Tedeschi

*Derek Trucks

*Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit

*Leftover Salmon

Darrell Scott and his Electrifying Trio

*Jazz is Dead

*Alex Machacek

*Charles Hedgepath

*Zambiland Orchestra

*Debashish Bhattacharya

*Jonas Hellborg,Shawn Lane and Jeff Sipe (Hellborg Lane & Sipe)

*The Jeff Sipe Trio (w Mike Seal & Taylor Lee)

*Oteil & Friends

*Oz Noy

*Project Z (Jimmy Herring, Ricky Keller, Greg Osby, jason Crosby, Oliver Wells, Count MButu, Derrick Trucks)

(…And many more)

Visit: jeffsipemusic.com

MIKE SEAL BIO

Mike Seal is a grammy-nominated guitarist and composer based in Nashville, TN. Originally from Bridgewater, Virginia, he’s played out of Tennessee and Georgia for the past ten years, touring and recording with a wide variety of bands including: The Jerry Douglas Band, Sierra Hull, Bob Lanzetti, Jeff Sipe Trio, Sarah Siskind, The Jeff Coffin Mu-tet, Ike Stubblefield, Yonrico Scott, Keith L. Brown, Taylor Lee, The Black Lillies, and Robinella.

Mike has performed and recorded on many projects as a guitarist, pianist, arranger and composer. Jerry Douglas’ latest album, ‘What If’, features his guitar work and composition work. His background is primarily in jazz, but you will hear him performing a wide range of music spanning many genres.

TAYLOR LEE BIO

Taylor was a prodigy of the bass guitar at a young age. With the guidance of his mentor Steve Bailey, the bar was set high from the beginning. In 2008, Taylor received a full scholarship and attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music where he studied and performed with the likes of Lincoln Goines and Mark Whitfield. Since Berklee, Taylor has been on tour internationally with Warner Bros Recording Artists Nico and Vinz, members of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jeff Sipe Trio, Bela Fleck, Bill Evans, Oteil Burbridge and Marcus King. Taylor has played on David Letterman, The Today Show, The NFL pro-bowl and many other live television programs. With this release of his debut album “Lightning Man” new grounds are being broken and a new voice has emerged for the electric bass!

“Lightning Man” Features several world class bassists, including Taylor’s long time instructor Steve Bailey, as well as Oteil Burbridge (The Dead and Co, Allman Brothers, Aquarium Rescue Unit), Mathew Garrison (John McLaughlin, Scott Kinsey, Ravi Coltrane) and the great banjoist Bela Fleck (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones).

Taylor has assembled a tour de force for his rhythm section featuring guitarist Mike Seal (Jerry Douglas, Jeff Sipe Band,Jeff Coffin) and Drummer Micheal D’Angelo.

Guest performers include Otto Gross and Lennar Razzor on keyboards, and wife Sara Lee on lead vocals. Also featured are Joshua Mayfield on drums, and Steven J Collins on talkbox.

Every Sunday Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over the country. This week we have two very silly boys that both started comedy in Asheville before moving on to Atlanta and Chicago!

Kenny Stempien

Kenny Stempien is an Atlanta comic, by way of Asheville NC. He’s opened for nationally touring acts like Emma Willmann, David Gborie, and Zak Toscani. You can see him touring all throughout the Southeast, but mainly Atlanta and Asheville.

Derek Boscovich

Derek Boskovich is an up-and-coming standup based in Chicago, IL. As a child growing up in North Carolina, everyone laughed at him. Constantly. Mercilessly. When he grew up he decided he would use that to his advantage and became a stand-up. When he isn’t performing at clubs and bars all over the country, he is tending bar at a middle-of-the-road Italian restaurant. Derek’s comedic style is sometimes dead-pan wit about the relatable tedium of everyday life, sometimes disarming non-sequitur about random absurdities, but always delivered in a mumbly drawl. If he doesn’t make you laugh, rest assured that it’s probably your fault.

featuring James Harrod and Allison Shelnut

ages 18+

doors at 6pm, show at 6:30pm

Join us for Black Mountain’s original Sunday Jam! Hosted by Spiro and Friends, this jam features original jams and favorite covers. Bring your instrument! Sign-ups at the stage starting at 6 PM!

Pisgah Beer, Gluten Free and N/A options available. Family and dog friendly venue.

The taproom is open from 2:00 to 9:00 PM with music beginning at 6:30 PM.