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.

Friday, August 12, 2022
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP): reduce internet service costs
Aug 12 all-day
online

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) allows qualifying households to reduce their internet service costs by up to $30 a month (or $75 a month on Tribal lands). This program also provides a one-time financial support for purchasing a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet.

ACP-eligible households may include those who:

– Utilize SNAP or WIC benefits

– Receive Social Security Income (SSI)

– Receive Medicaid

– Utilize Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)

– Participate in Free and Reduced-Price School Meal Programs

– Participate in Tribal assistance programs

– Meet the eligibility criteria for existing broadband provider’s low-income internet program

Understanding Unsheltered Homelessness-Opportunity for Input
Aug 12 all-day
online

Homelessness has increased in Asheville since the Covid-19 pandemic, with recent numbers showing a 21% increase in unsheltered people in our community. The City of Asheville, Buncombe County and the Dogwood Health Trust partnered to bring in a consultant from the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

The project has two phases:
Phase One – a comprehensive needs assessment to  understand the increase in unsheltered homelessness.
Phase Two – using the findings of Phase One to develop a set of actionable strategies and recommendations to improve our community’s response to unsheltered homelessness.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness is seeing input from he community through an anonymous survey. This survey for people residing in or conducting business in the Asheville community. It asks about your experience, thoughts, and impressions on homelessness in Asheville. The survey will be open through August 19, please take time to share your thoughts.

Donate and Vote: “Mr. and Ms. August” Campaign
Aug 12 @ 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Blood Connection--Asheville

DONATE BLOOD TO VOTE!

Right now, The Blood Connection has a critical need for blood donations and we need community members like YOU to help us out!

Community members have chosen to help TBC ramp up blood donations in August, and your donation can help crown them MR. OR MS. AUGUST!

These contestants have stepped up to be community lifesavers…WILL YOU?

Twenty contestants from across the Carolinas and Georgia have signed on to share TBC’s mission and
encourage others to roll up their sleeves this August. They include:

– Dr. Annie Andrews – Politician and Pediatrician from Charleston, SC
– Michelle Brandt – Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commissioner and Politician from
Charleston, SC
– Wool E. Bull – Mascot for the Durham Bulls Baseball Team
– Jan Correll – Blogger/influencer behind Silver is the New Blonde® in Charlotte, NC
– Jordan Coppinger – Radio Host, 98.1 The River in Asheville, NC
– Max Diekneite – News Anchor from Savannah, GA
– Jane Dough – Radio Host, Kiss 101.9 in New Bern, NC
– Anastasia Garcia – Social Media Influencer from Greensboro, NC
– Brevin Galloway – Basketball Player for Clemson University
– Dr. Carlos Grant – Principal of Wade Hampton High School in Greenville, SC
– Nikki Kuniej – Account Manager for Charleston Radio Group in Charleston, SC
– Dr. Zion Ko Lamm – Internal Medicine Specialist in Greenville, SC
– Andrew Lord – Head Coach of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in Greenville, SC

– Miguel Lucero – Paramedic and EMT Teacher from Berkely County, SC
– Walker Merritt – Football Player at The Citadel
– Ed Piotrowski – Chief Meteorologist, WPDE from Myrtle Beach, SC
– Jane Robelot – Anchor, WYFF News 4 from Greenville, SC
– Ian Robinson – Leukemia Survivor from Greenville, SC
– Sarah Margaret Sandlin – Social Media Influencer from Charlotte, NC
– Rhys Shaw – 12-year-old Lymphoma Survivor from Charleston, SC

AM Power Hour
Aug 12 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 am
Veterans Healing Farm

Enjoy a more productive day by meeting prospective customers at the start of your day. You may find a strong referral source, a new vendor, the perfect client, or simply get a foot in the door for connecting again later at another Chamber event.
Registration is required.
WNC Farmers Market
Aug 12 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
WNC Farmers Market

NCDA&CS - Marketing Division - Western North Carolina Farmers Market

The WNC Farmers Market is the premier destination for buying and selling the region’s best agriculture products directly from farmers & food producers to household & wholesale customers in an environment that celebrates the region’s diverse culture, food & heritage.

House of Operation:

WNC Farmers Market: 24/7, 361 days a year market access for farmers
Office: Monday- Friday, 8am-5pm
Market Shops: 7 days a week, 8 am-5 pm
Wholesale and Truck Sheds: 7 days a week

LEAF Summer Camp: Brass + Percussion
Aug 12 @ 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
LEAF Global Arts

For rising 4th-8th graders. Students will work with lead resident teaching artist Ersel Bogan III (also known as Garfield). Mr. Garfield gets students moving and playing in the stylings of Second Line music, a rhythm famously used in New Orleans. Students are encouraged to bring brass instruments if they have them – otherwise they will be provided.

 

2022-23 Season Subscriptions Asheville Community Theatre
Aug 12 @ 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Buy a 5-Pass Flex Subscription or a 3-Pass Musicals Subscription and save over 15% on your season tickets.

Order Early and Save!
Order your Early Bird Subscription before September 1st and save an additional $15 -$25 per subscription. You will still have the flexibility to choose your seats and show dates at a later time – so don’t wait!

Show Dates at a Glance: 
Our Town: September 30 – October 16, 2022
Elf The Musical: December 2 – 18, 2022
Native Gardens: February 10 – 26, 2023
Bright Star: April 21 – May 14, 2023
Bat Boy: The Musical: July 21 – August 6, 2023

Aladdin Workshop
Aug 12 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Asheville Performing Arts Academy

Aladdin Summer 2022

Welcome to Agrabah and the adventure of the street rat who became a prince!

When the street urchin, Aladdin, vies for the attention of the beautiful princess, Jasmine, he uses a genie’s magic power to become a prince in order to marry her. Iago, Jafar, the Genie, and more are here in Disney’s Aladdin KIDS, a musical adventure filled with magic, mayhem and the power of love.

Camp features: acting classes, movement and choreography, juggling and magic tricks, miming and more!

Bullington Gardens: Fairy Trail
Aug 12 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

Join us on the magical Fairy Trail where your imagination is the only limit.

Developed by Fairies and dedicated volunteers, Bullington Gardens’ Fairy Trail is a whimsical treat for the young and the young at heart. Featuring charming vignettes and villages, the fairy trail will charm you with its thoughtful design, eye catching displays and secret woodland trail.

Rules of the trail:

Do not move or rearrange fairy displays. The fairies are very fond of their own decorating.

Do not leave trash on the trail. Fairies do not like litter in their town.

Please ensure children and pets are supervised at all times. Dogs and loud noises can scare the fairies into hiding.

Do not disturb wildlife or vegetation. The fairies depend on the vegetation to build their homes.

The trail is one way only. Please stay on the trail at all times.

P.S. the Fairies would like us to remind you that we are a non-profit and donations are greatly appreciated. Help us keep the fairies living in the style with which they’ve become accustomed.

Help Seniors Fill Out Applications for Benefits
Aug 12 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Council on Aging of Buncombe County
  • The Council on Aging of Buncombe County was formed in 1964 to address the needs of seniors in our community
  • We provide essential support to people over 60 who need assistance with food, heat or a/c, and health care
  • Our volunteers make this work possible– consider joining us today!

Our Mission Statement: Promote the Independence, dignity, and well-being of adults through service, education, and advocacy

We are looking for volunteers to work with low-income Medicare recipients as an unbiased, knowledgeable guide, providing education and assistance with navigating through the application process to help them receive much-needed assistance with the following programs:

  • Medicare Part D Extra Help/Low-Income Subsidy (LIS)
  • Medicare Savings Programs
  • Medicaid
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly known as Food Stamps)
  • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
  • Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

The safety of our clients is our highest priority. Here’s what’s required for this role:

  • Clear criminal background check and driving record.
  • Minimum $100,000/300,000 in auto liability coverage.
  • Orientation and training with the Council on Aging.
  • A reliable vehicle that will pass NC safety inspection.

Additionally, we are very flexible and will work with your schedule.

Who would make a strong candidate for this volunteer role?

  • You care about seniors and want to support those who need help most
  • A resident of Buncombe County, NC, or a nearby town.
  • Someone willing to learn basic education about the Benefits Enrollment Center (BEC) and what benefits are available for lower-income Seniors.
  • Someone willing to receive education about outreach, what larger events entail, and how to assist with these events.
  • Someone willing to travel around Buncombe County and set up a table at outreach events, educating the community on the services offered at Council on Aging and the Benefits Enrollment Center.
  • Someone able to assist clients with benefits applications and maintain awareness of changes to income guidelines.

If you want to help make a difference in the lives of real people right here in western North Carolina, we would love to welcome you on board as a volunteer.

LEAF Summer Brass and Percussion Camp
Aug 12 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
LEAF Global Experience

For rising 4th-8th graders. Students will work with lead resident teaching artist Ersel Bogan III (also known as Garfield). Mr. Garfield gets students moving and playing in the stylings of Second Line music, a rhythm famously used in New Orleans. Students are encouraged to bring brass instruments if they have them – otherwise they will be provided.

PIGEON RAFTING SPECIAL
Aug 12 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Nantahala Outdoor Center
People browsing the
                                            outdoor gear vendor market
                                            at Guest Appreciation
                                            Festival

 

Find adventure in the Great Smoky Mountains! Try one of our two  whitewater rafting trips on the Pigeon River, conveniently located near Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Asheville, and Maggie Valley.

 

Raft the Upper Pigeon for a full dose of excitement with a dozen Class III and IV rapids, or if gentle rapids and swimming holes are more your speed, float the Lower Pigeon – ideal for families and groups with young children.

 

Save $10 per person on the Upper or Lower Pigeon! Use code: PIGEON10 at checkout.

Support Small Business Growth in Your Area: Volunteer With SCORE!
Aug 12 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
online
SCORE is a resource partner of the US Small Business Administration. Our mission is to help people fulfill a dream to create a new business or grow an existing business. We are looking for people with diverse backgrounds and experiences to volunteer to be small business mentors and local community advocates.
Small businesses drive the nation’s economy. And, they have been hit hard the past few years. The 9 SCORE chapters in North Carolina are receiving many requests from folks wanting to start or grow businesses! These business owners need help. Would you be interested in joining SCORE?
Mentors provide valuable insight on many topics and give you an opportunity to share what you learned during your career. SCORE chapters members have men and women from every type of industry and position – bankers, accountants, marketing/sales, franchisees, Fortune 500 execs, and small business owners too.
SCORE volunteers do many things to help entrepreneurs. Here are some examples:
·        Business Mentor – Directly advising and supporting small business owners and would-be entrepreneurs
·        Subject Matter Expert – Supporting both mentors and business owners by providing information in your area(s) of experience and expertise
  • Workshop Presenter – Delivering presentations to either in-person or online audiences on topics that will help them grow their businesses
All our volunteers help support and grow America’s Small Business community – the greatest generator of employment in the country!
If you would like to know more about volunteer opportunities with SCORE, please visit the www.score.org. Click on ‘Get Involved’, then the Volunteer button. Our more than 300 SCORE volunteers across North Carolina look forward to hearing from you!
Tours: Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site
Aug 12 @ 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
The Thomas Wolfe Memorial

Old Kentucky Home -The Thomas Wolfe Memorial

American Novelist Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938)

American Novelist Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938)

Considered by many to be one of the giants of 20th-century American literature, Thomas Wolfe immortalized his childhood home in his epic autobiographical novel, Look Homeward, Angel. Wolfe’s colorful portrayal of his family, his hometown of “Altamont” Asheville, North Carolina, and “Dixieland” the Old Kentucky Home boardinghouse, earned the Victorian period house a place as one of American literature’s most famous landmarks.

House tours are offered daily at half past each hour. Last tour leaves at 4:30 pm.
Group tours by reservation.

Adult – $5.00
Student (ages 7-17) – $2.00
Adult Group (10+) – $2.50 each
Student Group – $2.00 each
6 & under – Free

Hours of Operation

9:00am – 5:00pm
Tuesday – Saturday
Sunday & Monday: CLOSED
Closed State Holidays

Volunteer opportunities available at Mission Hospital
Aug 12 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Mission Hospital

Get your 10K steps a day as a greeter, guide, wheelchair transporter and wayfinder for incoming or discharge patients and guests.

Pastoral Care: for trained and experienced lay chaplains to serve patients in all departments

Behavioral Peer Group Facilitation: experienced peers for group facilitation

One on One Peer Support: for specific medical conditions

Pet Therapy Handlers and Team Assistantsfor dog lovers to assist, and dogs and handlers certified for Pet Therapy to visit patients

Occasional One Time- or Short Term-volunteers for special events and short term projects

Child Life and Family Support Assistants: Support programs by helping with cleaning, collecting and packaging art supplies, leading craft projects with patients in the pediatric, behavioral and emergency units.

 

Volunteer onboarding requires a background check, immunization documentation and a 2 ½ hour training. We ask for a commitment of 4 hours per week.

“We Built This: Profiles of Black Architects and Builders in North Carolina” Exhibit at Pack Memorial Library
Aug 12 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library
PSABC is excited to be co-hosting the “We Built This: Profiles of Black Architects and Builders in North Carolina” travelling exhibit with the Buncombe County Special Collections.
The exhibit was put together by Preservation North Carolina and highlights the history and legacy of Black builders and craftspeople from throughout the state.
Art Exhibit: Aphantasia by Craig Denesha
Aug 12 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Artists Collective | Spartanburg

Spartanburg modern abstract artist Craig Denesha says his exhibition, “Aphantasia: Visual Imagery Reimagined” in Gallery III of the Artists Collective | Spartanburg Aug. 2 through 25, will show visitors that “abstract art is for everyone.

“If you don’t think so, come to my show and give it a chance,” says Denesha of the exhibit of his acrylic paintings and mixed media. “While I painted these, it is up to you, the viewer, to develop your own experience and make your own interpretation.

will show visitors that “abstract art is for everyone.

“If you don’t think so, come to my show and give it a chance,” says Denesha of the exhibit of his acrylic paintings and mixed media. “While I painted these, it is up to you, the viewer, to develop your own experience and make your own interpretation.

Earth’s Gifts | Focus Gallery Exhibition
Aug 12 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Folk Art Center

purple patchwork lap quilt

Featured Artists: Jude Stuecker (fiber) Erica Bailey (jewelry) Mary Dashiell (clay) Steve Miller (wood) Rex Redd (clay)

Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program Graduate Exhibition
Aug 12 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Folk Art Center
Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program Graduate Exhibition
Aug 12 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Folk Art Center
North Asheville Library Check out a Pair of Binoculars
Aug 12 @ 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
North Asheville Library

The Perfect Turkey

Want to take your hiking trip to the next level? Interested in getting a closer look at our local wildlife? The North Asheville Library now has binoculars available for check out!

Performance + Competition Team
Aug 12 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Asheville Performing Arts Academy

Theatre Performance Team Asheville

Would you like to learn some pieces and become part of a group that’s entire focus is performing and competing? This week we will learn a few showstoppers, evaluate everyone’s skill level and host auditions for our year round Performance Troupe. No experience is required to participate- but must have a love of MUSICAL THEATRE.

At the end of the week you will perform for family and friends. If, at the end of the week, you are invited into our performance group, we will let you know and present you with the schedule of rehearsals and potential performances/competitions. We are excited to have you and break a leg!

RAD Collabs
Aug 12 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
North Carolina Glass Center

Image for RAD Collabs

Being an artist can be a lonely endeavor. RAD Collabs seeks to inspire artists to leave behind solitary work habits, encourage new friendships and inspire imaginative art.

We put the word out to Asheville-area artists earlier this year and had an overwhelming response from painters, potters, metalsmiths, woodworkers and others who expressed an interest in working with glassblowers.

The work exhibited in this show will shine the light on these new partnerships. Come see the show and watch glassblowers in action all at the same time!

Pictured is a collaboration between Joe Nicholson and Vanessa Tsumura.

Skateboard Re-Purposed Exhibit
Aug 12 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

The synergy of vibrant outsider art created locally and shared with Tryon Fine Arts has resulted
in a one-of-a-kind art exhibit opening June 1, 2022. The Skateboard: Re-purposed includes
works from North Carolina, Oregon, California, England and Germany. Seven artists are
featured, including Tryon’s own Jonathan Caple, Nicholas Harding (England), Matt Mercurio,
George Rocha, Michael Mauney, Paris Evans and Folk Dunker (Gemany).
Skateboarding has been popular for over a century and is now experiencing a resurgence in both

the sports arena and the art world—it became an Olympic sport in 2020 and was part of a
successful 2019 Sotheby’s auction, with boards by, among others, Damien Hirst and Marilyn
Minter.
Skateboards re-purposed as art will be on exhibit in TFAC’s Parker Gallery beginning June 1,
2022. The exhibit will feature skateboard art in many sizes and forms including graceful
sculptures, nature art, chairs, wall art, a crocheted piece, photographs, and more. Several of the
exhibit pieces will be for sale, supporting both the artists and TFAC as the exhibit sponsor.
The public is invited to attend the opening reception on June 9 from 5 – 7 PM, where they can
also meet local skateboard artist, Jonathan Caple. The exhibit will be on display through to the
end of July 2022.
To access the gallery, plan to enter through the Pavilion at the rear of Tryon Fine Arts Center.
Free parking is available behind TFAC and on surrounding side streets. For more information,
call 828-859-8322 or visit www.tryonarts.org.

YWCA Aquatics Volunteer
Aug 12 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
YWCA Asheville

YWCA of Asheville is a nonprofit organization working to bridge gaps in education, health, childcare, and earning power for women and families in the Asheville region. The mission of the YWCA of Asheville is to eliminate racism; empower women; and promote peace,  justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

The YWCA indoor pool hosts a comprehensive Aquatics Program with activities for all ages, abilities, and interests.

Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities 

  • Join the fun in the pool as a swim assistant. Help children and adults learn the basics of floating, kicking, breathing, and diving.
  • Support the Aquatics Program with behind-the-scenes administrative work or on-the-deck supervising

Time Commitment

  • Flexible time commitment

Volunteer Requirements

  • Background check
“Life Art Life” William Bernstein 50 Year Art Retrospective
Aug 12 @ 10:30 am – 5:00 pm
Toe River Arts, Kokol Gallery

“LIFE ART LIFE William Bernstein 50 year retrospective” exhibition August 6-October 9, 2022 at the Toe River Arts’ Kokol Gallery, Spruce Pine, NC, features the paintings and glass of this artist who has been on the forefront of the studio glass movement.

Graduating 1968 from the Philadelphia College of Arts and just married, Bernstein moved to Penland School of Crafts to be their second glass resident artist from 1968-70. He was a co-founder of the Glass Arts Society (GAS) that formed to bring together the glass community so people could work together and learn from each other. Receiving numerous awards, fellowships and grants, he has exhibited internationally and has artwork in many private and public collections. Bernstein has lived most of his professional life in the rural Celo community of Yancey, North Carolina along with his family and artist wife, Katherine Bernstin. This retrospective provides a great opportunity for one to imagine a life surrounded by art.

This has been not only been a year-long process of curating pieces for an exhibit, but a lifetime of making art that connects with all things about one’s life. Bernstein’s work in glass and paint showcases just that: his family, his pets, friends, his environs, his moods and so much more. A life well-lived in creating art. More on Bernstein Glass www.bernsteinglass.com

William Warmus (A Fellow and former curator of Modern Glass at the Corning Museum), writes for the exhibition catalog, “Bernstein is a minimalist whose style is based upon the dedication to the concepts of honesty, modesty, and humility. It has a feel of its surroundings and of the people of the region.”

The Toe River Arts Kokol Gallery is located at 269 Oak Avenue, Spruce Pine, NC 28777. The exhibition dates: August 6 – October 9, 2022. Hours: Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10:30 – 5:00 pm. 828-765-0520, www.toeriverarts.org

Public receptions on Fridays: August 12 and October 7, both 5:00-7:00 PM. Artist gallery talk Friday, August 12, 4:00 pm. The exhibition travels to Cary Arts Center November 30 – January 21, 2023.

Coinciding with the United Nations’ Year 2022 as the Year of Glass and the 60th Anniversary of the Studio Glass Movement, this has been made possible by Toe River Arts, the North Carolina Arts Council, the Cary Art Center, Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, the Blumenthal Foundation, and Mountain Electronics in Micaville, NC.

Creating with Books
Aug 12 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

Creating with Books!

Join Ginger Huebner from Roots + Wings School of Art and Design for 90 minutes of serious fun creating with books! During this session we will explore painting on and inside books that were going to be discarded from the library. Be ready to let go, be inspired and embrace your spontaneous side as we mixing colors, creating patterns, and using tape for masking designs.

All ages are welcome – no artistic experience is necessary!

Toddler Story Time
Aug 12 @ 10:30 am – 11:15 am
North Asheville Library

Join us for a fun and interactive story time designed for children ages 18 months to 3 years.

American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection
Aug 12 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum
 

Jessie B. Telfair, Freedom Quilt, 1983, cotton with pencil, 74 × 68 inches. Collection American Folk Art Museum, NY, gift of Judith Alexander in loving memory of her sister, Rebecca Alexander, 2004.9.1. © Estate of Jessie. B. Telfair, image Gavin Ashworth.
American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection showcases over 80 stellar works of folk and self-taught art including assemblages, needlework, paintings, pottery, quilts, and sculpture. Organized by the American Folk Art Museum in New York, this exhibition will be on view in the Explore Asheville Exhibition Hall at the Asheville Art Museum from June 18 through September 5, 2022.

Everyone has stories to tell from both the private and mutual experiences encountered throughout their lifetime. American folk and self-taught artists capture these stories in powerful visual narratives that offer firsthand testimonies to chapters in the unfolding story of America from its inception to the present. Beautiful, diverse, and truthful; the art illuminates the thoughts and experiences of individuals with an immediacy that is palpable and unique to these expressions. These artworks held meaning in the makers’ worlds filtered through their own perceptions.

The artworks are organized into four sections—Founders, Travelers, Philosophers, and Seekers—that respond to such themes as nationhood, freedom, community, imagination, opportunity, and legacy. Evocative visual juxtapositions and accessible contextual information further reveal the vital role that folk art plays as a witness to history, carrier of cultural heritage, and a reflection of the world at large through the eyes, heart, and mind of the artist.

“While the Asheville Art Museum exhibits many folk and self-taught artists, most are local to the Southeast,” says Whitney Richardson, associate curator. “American Perspectives adds a national voice to the conversation by adding New England, Midwestern, Southwestern, and West Coast artworks that the Museum could never achieve alone. The amount of creative output from folk and self-taught artists was (and still is) on a national level and this exhibition helps to put that into a clear context. Traveling to Asheville from the collection of the American Folk Art Museum in New York, this exhibition will complement and expand the Museum’s ongoing conversations around American history and storytelling through works of art.”

This exhibition has been organized by the American Folk Art Museum, NY, with support provided by Art Bridges. Originally curated for installation at the American Folk Art Museum February 11, 2020–January 3, 2021 by Stacy C. Hollander, independent curator. Tour coordinated by Emelie Gevalt, Curator of Folk Art and Curatorial Chair for Collections, the American Folk Art Museum.

Border Cantos | Sonic Border Art Exhibition
Aug 12 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum
Richard Misrach, Wall, Jacumba, California, 2009, pigment print, 60 × 80 inches. Courtesy the Artist. © Richard Misrach, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco..
Border Cantos | Sonic Border, a unique collaboration between American photographer Richard Misrach and Mexican American sculptor and composer Guillermo Galindo, uses the power of art to explore and humanize the complex issues surrounding the Mexican-American border. Organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the transformative and multi-sensory experience will be on view in the Asheville Art Museum’s Appleby Foundation Exhibition Hall from July 22 through October 24, 2022.

Misrach, who has photographed the border since 2004, beautifully captures landscapes and objects, including things left behind by migrants. His large-scale photographs, along with grids of smaller photos, highlight issues surrounding migration and its effect on regions and people, and also introduce a complicated look at policing the boundary.

Responding to these photographs, Galindo fashioned sound-generating sculptures from items Misrach collected along the border, such as water bottles, Border Patrol “drag tires,” spent shotgun shells, ladders, and sections of the border wall itself. The sounds they produce give voices to people through the personal belongings they have left behind. The composition embraces the Pre-Columbian belief that there was an intimate connection between an instrument and the material from which it was made, with no separation between spiritual and physical worlds. Based on the Mesoamerican Venus calendar, Sonic Border plays for a total of 260 minutes and is separated into 13 cycles of 20 minutes. Within these cycles, the instruments play in small groups of two or more, or all together as an orchestra.

Presented in English and Spanish, Border Cantos | Sonic Border offers perspective on the challenges of migration, inviting us to bridge boundaries. When experienced as a whole, the images, instruments, and emanating sounds create an immersive space in which to look, listen, and learn about the complicated issues surrounding the Mexican-American border. While the artists do not seek to provide solutions to these issues, they do provide insight into a place where most people have never ventured, creating a poignant connection that draws on our humanity.

Border Cantos | Sonic Border is organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas. Support for the national tour of Border Cantos | Sonic Border is provided by Art Bridges.

Learn more at ashevilleart.org.