Calendar of Events

Let your little light shine for The SPARC Foundation as we sparkle and glow (feel free to wear your boldest and brightest) along the French Broad River! Hosted by Asheville Affiliates, SPARC After Dark will light up the night to raise funds for programs working to keep people out of institutional care. Modern Strangers will fill the autumn air with high-energy music… and the event will overflow with tasty local food and drinks from Urban Orchard, Roots Hummus, Catabaw Brewing, Mellow Mushroom, and more. Expect spectacular raffle packages and local prizes.

The SPARC Foundation

Family Fun Broadway Style Circus!

This is a free event. Registration necessary to save your spot.**

Please join us on October 4, from 5 to 8 pm for the opening party. Performance of “Nona’s Cooking Show” marionette show is at 6:30.

Exhibit open 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, at 207 Coxe Ave, downtown Asheville, through October 25.

“Street Creatures and Dancing Beasts” will celebrate Asheville’s vibrant puppetry scene as an Asheville Area Arts Council exhibit. It will display puppets made by local artists showing diverse styles and forms in a range of sizes and materials. A menagerie of animals, both real and imaginary, will  dance around the gallery. Puppetry is often relegated to the world of children’s entertainment, but this art form is ancient, multi faceted and almost limitless in scope. It requires the skills of an artist, tinkerer and performer, writer, musician and dancer.

Curator and artist Jennifer Murphy is one of the founders of Street Creature Puppet Collective, and “den mother” of the Puppet Clubhouse, a bright and lively community art space in North Asheville. Her work brings nature and myth together in ecological pageants. The other artists included use diverse visual styles and approaches.

Represented are long time puppetry master Hobey Ford, winner of puppetry’s highest honor, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence; Luce Romaldini, who’s rough charming cardboard figures tell uncomfortable truths; Edwin Salas, international puppeteer and dancer who conjures strange creatures of the dark side; Jim Julien, graphic designer and co-director of the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival; Chris Eizember, creative tinkerer and bamboo sculptor; Geneva Bierce-Wilson, fiber artist, inventor and maker of small dragons and large worms; and Street Creature Puppet Collective, a community of collaborative parade puppet makers.

Family Fun Broadway Style Circus!

Stuart Engel has been painting and drawing for his entire life. In the late 70’s he started his professional art career after moving to Boulder, CO, from the DC area. Since then Stuart has raised three girls, participated in numerous Gallery Shows, and sold his art worldwide to collectors. Since moving to Asheville 19 years ago, he has shown at such notable places as Zapow Gallery, The Woolworth Walk, and The Official Warren Christmas Jam Art Show.
Over the years, Stuart has been primarily known for creating dynamic portraits of musicians with acrylic paint and sand. He says he is inspired by “music, color, and the search to capture the feeling of movement.” Indeed, these paintings express the spirit of music and dance in a way that is undeniably one of a kind.
For the past three years, however, Stuart has shifted his focus away from musicians to a new body of work, consisting of six separate themed shows. “A Tribute To The Feminine Spirit,” the first of these shows to debut publicly, will explore feminine themes and how they inspire the artist.
“A Tribute To The Feminine Spirit” opens October 4th, with a reception from 7-9pm at ZaPow Gallery. The show runs through October 26th.
More information:
Website: Stuart-Engel.artistwebsites.com
Instagram: @stuartengel42
Facebook: StuArtOriginals

? ASHEVILLE CONCERT THIS FRIDAY!

I am STOKED to bring this transformational music and movement concert experience to the Asheville Community at Violet Owl Wellness in Downtown Asheville!

Asheville was an oasis for me growing up in East Tennessee. I could just drive over the most beautiful mountains to find myself in a fresh new perspective on life. I saw some of the best concerts in Asheville while in high school and it is full circle for me to now bring my music to this beautiful city.

RSVP now @ Cornflower at Asheville NC and tag (or invite) your Asheville friends in the comments below!

See you on the Dance Floor!
ALL LOVE, Cornflower

Giant Yard Sale in Swannanoa. Visit website if you want to rent a booth to sell.

You adult child won’t speak to you? Find support through our weekly meetings, every Saturday, Sept. 7 – Nov. 9, 2019, 8:30 am to 9:45 am, at First Congregational Church Library, 1735 Fifth Avenue West.  It’s not about who’s right or wrong.  It’s about getting on with life.

Community Garden located at the Buncombe County Sports Park.
The mission of Sand HIll Community Garden is to share in garden space, knowledge, and labor with all members of the community.  Using organic growing practices we promote community health and wellness by providing fresh produce for garden members and local people in need of food.

Free tours for North Carolina residents. Used book sale cake to celebrate!

…she gave to Luck’s Lad the title of Eugene, a name which, beautifully, means “well born,” but which, as any one will be able to testify, does not mean, has never meant, “well bred.”

Cynthia Lee will demonstrate a plethora of surface embellishments that will include materials like grog, handmade rollers, and found objects. Effects will be applied with the use of stencils, paper, terra sigilliata, and washes. Discussions will include creating a surface to convey self-expression and how that connects to your body of work. The demonstrations will utilize these surfaces to hand build sculptural wall boxes.

The Lunsford Festival is an all-day festival celebrating regional music and dance traditions. The event is the second oldest folk festival in Western North Carolina and was named in honor of cofounder Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Lunsford was a musician and folklorist who dedicated his life to collecting and promoting the music of the Southern Appalachians. Through his work he became known as the “Minstrel of the Appalachians.” The festival, which is now in its 52nd year, brings out the region’s finest musicians and dancers.  It happens on the same day as the Madison Heritage Arts Festival, so downtown will be abuzz. Join us in honoring the rich cultural traditions of the Southern Appalachians!

10:00-5:00: Concert on the Upper Quad
11:00: Presentation of the Lunsford Award
12:00-1:00: Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar, Dulcimer, Shaped Note Workshops
1:15-2:00: Open jam (Sunken Garden)
1:30-3:30: Ballad Swap (Blackwell Hall)
5:30-7:30: Community Dance (Chambers Gym)

Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts and Continuing Education faculty and students will celebrate American Craft Week with an Open House and Visiting Artist Lecture Series in the Creative Arts Building. Kicking off the event, the Open House will be held Saturday, October 5 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Demonstrations in each medium of clay, fiber, jewelry and wood will happen throughout the building. Refreshments will be served. This is a chance to meet the faculty and students and to learn more about the professional crafts programs and classes. In addition, there will be a Graduates of 2019 show in the Mary Cornwell Gallery.

The celebration will continue with three visiting artists during fall semester. The first visit will be East Fork Pottery discussing marketing Wednesday, October 9, 3-5 p.m. in Creative Arts Building, room 7105. John Vigeland, Connie Matisse and Alex Matisse, the founding members of East Fork Pottery, will be on campus to give an in-depth lecture on their marketing strategy.

The Visiting Artist Series will continue with Michael Manes of Blue Spiral 1 Gallery Thursday, October 10, 9 a.m. for a Working with Galleries presentation. Manes brings experience from the sectors of education, art museums and art consultation, having worked with numerous artists, non-profit organizations, and art and craft collectors. His presentation at HCC will draw from all of these experiences to illustrate the finer points for artists working with gallery representation including pricing strategies, maintaining strong professional relationships and what is important for artists to know from the curator’s and the collector’s point of view.

The final artist in the series will be ceramicist Margaret Bohls Friday, November 1, 4 p.m. Bohls will discuss her career as a ceramic artist and university professor.

Folk School Fall Festival 2019

Golden fall sunlight and brightly colored leaves provide a scenic backdrop for the John C. Campbell Folk School‘s Fall Festival. This treasured annual celebration of Appalachian culture, held on the Folk School’s Brasstown, North Carolina campus, heralds its 45th anniversary in October.

The Folk School’s enduring commitment to the arts is evident in a vibrant exhibition showcasing the School’s Quilting and Surface Design Program. The Pitman Fiber Arts Building will feature a display of dozens of striking quilts made by the school’s instructors.

A slideshow of Painting and Photography Instructor art will run throughout the festival in the Keith House Community Room.

Visit over 200 fine craft exhibitors tucked along the school’s winding wooded paths. Watch more than 30 artisans demonstrate traditional and contemporary crafts. Fill your ears with bluegrass, gospel, folk, and Celtic music on both days. Tap your toes to clogging, Morris, and Garland dance performances throughout the weekend.

Children can visit the Kids Cove area where they’ll enjoy pony rides, petting the alpacas, and visiting Valley River Humane Society’s pet adoption booth. The Cove Theatre will offer children an opportunity to participate in creative play with dress-up costumes and musical instruments. Face painting and arts and crafts activities will be offered by the Cherokee County Arts Council.

Hungry festivalgoers can satisfy their appetites with a tasty lunch, dessert, or snack. Vendors’ concession proceeds benefit several non-profit and community organizations.

The Folk School’s renowned Craft Shop, containing fine crafts from over 600 juried regional artists, will draw visitors throughout the weekend and be offering a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to the Craft Shop.

Fall Festival Survival Guide

No pets allowed

Bring your camera

Wear comfortable shoes and a sun hat

Visit water stations as needed to stay hydrated

Two ATMS will be available, however we encourage you to bring cash to pay for tickets, food, and purchases from vendors who do not accept cards

Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for ages 12-17, and free for children under 12

Music & Dance Schedule

Saturday

FESTIVAL BARN STAGE

10:00 Butternut Creek and Friends
10:40 Campbell Folk School Cloggers
11:20 The Curtis & Geoff Show
12:00 Folk School Junior Appalachian Music Students
12:40 Julie Helms & the Bluegrass Partners
1:20 Jones Brothers
2:00 Heidi Holton
2:40 Brasstown Morris Dancers & Band
3:20 Kudzu Kicker Cloggers
4:00 Dave Peters and the Last Responders

CRAFT SHOP STAGE

10:00 Jones Brothers
10:40 Greg Biltz
11:20 Faith Willin’
12:00 Heidi Holton
12:40 Crane Creek Cliff Dwellers
1:20 Beansidhe
2:00 Black Mash Hollow
2:40 Mike Davis
3:20 Redwine Jam
4:00 Sea Notes

Sunday

FESTIVAL BARN STAGE

10:00 Sunday Morning String Band
10:40 The Pressley Girls
11:20 Faith Willin’
12:00 Just Us Gals
12:40 Liz Nance & Friends
1:20 Campbell Folk School Cloggers
2:00 Granny’s Mason Jar
2:40 Little Brasstown Baptist Church Choir
3:20 Brasstown Morris Dancers & Band
4:00 Gnarly Fingers

CRAFT SHOP STAGE

10:00 Folk School Junior Appalachian Music Students
10:40 Kilmer and Cooley
11:20 Bona Fide
12:00 Greg Biltz
12:40 Kudzu Kicker Cloggers
1:20 Mountain Area Storytellers
2:00 Liz Nance & Friends
2:40 The Pressley Girls
3:20 Scott Low
4:00 Anne & Rob Lough

The MakeHER Market at the Mothlight – Women’s Work Empowers the World

The MakeHER Market returns to The Mothlight in West Asheville on Saturday, October 5th.
The debut event was held in March 2019 as a way to highlight and create connections between the talented community of local female entrepreneurs in celebration of International Women’s Day. The MakeHER Market will feature more than 20 female, independent creatives, makers and designers and their unique, hand crafted goods. Fair Trade coffee, jewelry and home décor as well as locally made art and botanicals will be available to purchase. Created and organized by Incite Coffee Company and Maadili Collective, Fair Trade companies working with female owned cooperatives in developing countries, the event aims to honor the enterprising ventures of women locally and abroad.

Event hours are 10am to 3pm, admission is free and families are welcome.

Women’s Work Empowers the World!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makeHERmarket

WHAT: The MakeHER Market
WHERE: The Mothlight, 701 Haywood Road, West Asheville
WHEN: Saturday, October 5th, 10-3pm. Rain or shine.

The MakeHER Market at the Mothlight – Women’s Work Empowers the World. The MakeHER Market returns to The Mothlight in West Asheville on Saturday, October 5th. The debut event was held in March 2019 as a way to highlight and create connections between the talented community of local female entrepreneurs in celebration of International Women’s Day. The MakeHER Market will feature more than 20 female, independent creatives, makers and designers and their unique, hand crafted goods. Fair Trade coffee, jewelry and home décor as well as locally made art and botanicals will be available to purchase. Created and organized by Incite Coffee Company and Maadili Collective, Fair Trade companies working with female owned cooperatives in developing countries, the event aims to honor the enterprising ventures of women locally and abroad. Event hours are 10am to 3pm, admission is free and families are welcome. Women’s Work Empowers the World!

This workshop will introduce you to one of the earliest forms of weaving, backstrap weaving. You will learn how to set up your own backstrap loom to create and weave unique pieces of art that can be made anywhere.

In this workshop, we will explore setting up a backstrap loom from start to finish using a string-heddle method and a plain weave structure. Naturally dyed hemp, wool and alpaca yarns/fibers will be available for use and experimentation. You will leave the workshop knowing how to set up a backstrap loom, with an informational zine to support your future backstrap weaving and having created a unique piece of woven art! All materials are included in the class fee, and loom kits will be available for purchase following the class ($60). No experience necessary.

About the teacher:
Neil Goss focuses his art on Earth processes while responding to human impacts upon those processes. In 2012 he received two BFA’s in Design (Textiles and Ceramics) from the University of Kansas SOTA. He has been dedicated to researching sustainable arts processes such as natural dyeing, weaving, utilizing hand-dug clay, and foraging art materials. Goss has taught workshops, installed public art and done artist talks from coast to coast in the United States. He currently is a practicing professional artist and educator. Most recently he was an artist-in-residence at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery in New York, NY hosted by the Textile Arts Center.

Join us for “Saturday Night Lights,” a family-friendly event at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, NC, happening every Saturday evening May through October featuring FREE carousel rides, pony rides, bounce house, face painting, entertainers and live music, plus horse show competition. General admission and parking are also free and open to the public. With onsite dining options, concessions, shopping, and lodging, come for the night or for a vacation getaway! Learn more at Tryon.com/SNL.

Phone: 828-863-1000

Email: [email protected]

Family Fun Broadway Style Circus!