The Village Potters Clay Center (TVPCC), announces the opening of “Nurtured by Nature”, a special exhibit featuring new works by each of the six resident potters of TVPCC.

When you have six wildly talented, skilled, and creative artists working together, it can be a challenge to pick a singular theme for a show. But it didn’t take long before the resident potters at TVPCC realized that they each had a connection to nature, and it expressed itself in different ways in their lives and work.

Sarah Wells Rolland grew up in Florida near the water and life that grew in and around it. For this exhibit, she has created singular pieces using broad strokes through slip to emulate Water Grass, and her deliciously beautiful glazes invite you to touch. You can almost feel a soft Florida breeze!

Judi Harwood has her work already rooted deeply in nature, using corn husks, bamboo leaves, and other organic materials in her sagger fired vessels. On a recent trip to the beach, she noticed an amazing pattern in the sand from the ebb and flow of the tide dragging shells across the sand. She knew instantly that she needed to carve a similar design in her pieces for Raku and other alternate firing processes, and you will find those pieces in this exhibit.

Caroline Renée Woolard has always had a deep love for nature, in particular the forest and the element of water and the rhythm of waves. You will find these things in the movement of her slip application, and in her carved mushrooms that invite a child-like sense of wonder and joy.

Katie Meili Messersmith is a self-proclaimed math nerd, and she loves the beauty of sequencing and patterning that she achieves in her slip dot applications on her pots. She also sees this beauty of math sequencing in nature, like in the petals of flowers, and has explored this in her work in a stunning series of bowls.

Julia Mann’s work has always been inspired by her love of nature and love of season, as well as her love of women and love of Goddess. Venus of Willendorf remains a guiding influence on her work more than twenty years after carving her first form. Julia has created new Venus pieces as well as pieces inscribed with other symbols of nature that inspire her, from spider webs to trees and mountains.

Lori Theriault grew up on the edge of the woods in central Vermont, and spent many afternoons hiking in the trees, touching each bark to feel what she saw. She also spent many nights star gazing with her father, waiting for an Apollo rocket to fly overhead. Lori represents her love of trees and flowers in functional work with her wax resist designs, and she is exploring more sculptural work in her “Vincent Series” that celebrates her love of a star-filled sky and her love and admiration for Van Gogh’s impasto technique in ‘Starry Night’.

Nurtured by Nature will be on exhibit through the end of June at The Village Potters Clay Center. The gallery is open daily, 10am-5pm.

The Village Potters are Sarah Wells Rolland, Judi Harwood, Lori Theriault, Julia Mann, Katie Meili Messersmith, and Caroline Renée Woolard, along with Director of Operations, Keira Peterson. They comprise an intentional Collective of potters who share a commitment to nurture creative exploration through education, experience, and community. The Village Potters includes a fine craft gallery, a Teaching Center offering ongoing classes in wheel, hand building, and sculpture for adults, an Advanced Ceramic Studies Program, and online demonstrations and workshops. The Village Potters Clay Center is an educational member of The Craft Guild of the Southern Highlands, and is an official distributor for Laguna Clays.

Historians estimate that skilled Black artisans outnumbered their white counterparts in the antebellum South by a margin of five to one. However, despite their presence and prevalence in all corners of the pre-industrial trade and craft fields, the stories of these skilled workers go largely unacknowledged.

Borrowing its title from a Black culture and politics magazine of the same name, Hammer and Hope celebrates the life and labor of Black chairmakers in early America. Featuring the work of two contemporary furniture makers – Robell Awake and Charlie Ryland – the pieces in this exhibition are based on the artists’ research into ladderback chairs created by the Poynors, a multigenerational family of free and enslaved craftspeople working in central Tennessee between the early nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Through the objects featured in Hammer and Hope, Awake and Ryland explore, reinterpret, and reimagine what the field of furniture-making today would look like had the history and legacy of the Poynors – and countless others that have been subject to a similar pattern of erasure – been celebrated rather than hidden. Hammer and Hope represents Awake and Ryland’s attempts, in their own words,  “at fighting erasure by making objects that engage with these long-suppressed stories.”‍

Robell Awake and Charlie Ryland are recipients of the Center for Craft’s 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship. This substantial mid-career grant is awarded to two artists to support research projects that advance, expand, and support the creation of new research and knowledge through craft practice.

Don’t miss your chance to participate in Asheville’s craft beverage industry trade show! Yes, this is open to the public!

The 2024 Craft Beverage Expo will be held in conjunction with the annual AVL Beer Week. With 30+ vendors and over 100 industry professionals all in one location, this will be the best place to meet leaders in the regional brewing arena and develop profitable business relationships. At the trade show, craft beverage professionals will be able to shop for the latest industry products and services. The tasting experience will provide a space for beverage producers and their teams to share new products and provide demonstrations and samples.

This will be the only local industry event serving brewpubs, breweries, and wholesalers!

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This series, in collaboration with the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, explores novels, poetry, and historic nonfiction focused on Appalachian experiences and Swannanoa Valley history through discussions and visits from regional authors.
Schedule:

10:00-10:30 a.m. Book club discussion
Short break
11:00 a.m. – noon Author reading and Q&A
Cost: Swannanoa Valley Book Club Series events are FREE to the public.
Registration is FREE and strongly encouraged: https://book.peek.com/s/67a8f17f-ab07-4336-8fbe-2a8a817c5c55/6a6eY?gaClientId=938399776.1700153138

Accessing Books: The Black Mountain Public Library will order and hold SVM Book Club books ahead of time for checkout by book club members. Some books are available for purchase through the Swannanoa Valley Museum.

The May title is Appalachia on the Table by Heather Abrams Locklear.

Trip in the Woods – Beer Week Edition
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

These early literacy programs for kids and their caregivers are designed to develop a joy for learning through books, songs, and activities.

Story time takes place in our library community room. This is not a ticketed event.

AdventHealth is honored to be part of the Coca-Cola 600 Cup Series Race and join NASCAR in recognizing the heroic men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. This iconic race on Memorial Day Weekend is where you will see seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Hall of Fame Inductee and Legacy Motor Club Co-owner, Jimmie Johnson driving the No. 84 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE in the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26.

Before the green flag drops in Charlotte, you have a chance to see the No. 84 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE at the Henderson County Historic Courthouse on Friday, May 24 from 11 am to 2 pm.

No. 84 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE Show Car Event and

Jimmie Johnson and Erik Jones Meet & Greet

Friday, May 24 | 11 am to 2 pm

Meet & Greet with Drivers: 12 to 1 pm

Henderson County Historic Courthouse

1 Historic Courthouse Square

Hendersonville, NC

May 3 – June 26, 2024 MON – SAT 11 – 6SUN 11 – 5

Artists: Caleb Clark, Bryant Holsenbeck, Bill Killebrew, Inigo Navarro, Isaac Payne, Amy Putansu, Daniel Robbins, Peggy Root, and Deborah Squier.

This group exhibition features paintings, collages, and sculptures that embody the alluring ambiance between sunrise and sunset. Plein air paintings capture the scattered, sleepy light of Dawn; Collaged drawings depict sidewalks blanketed by moonlight; Mixed-media sculptures portray nocturnal animals. Each artist reminds us of the recurrent and striking period of time when the atmosphere is neither totally dark, nor completely lit.

Join us for a visit to Hendo Care Farms, a community wellness resource that utilizes the natural healing benefits of animals and nature through a variety of youth and adult farm-based programs and workshops.

Together, we will tour the farm, frolic with livestock, and enjoy a picnic by the river.

In the early 1900s, travel by train and automobile became more accessible in the United States, leading to an increase in tourism and a revitalized interest in landscape painting. The relative ease of transportation, as well as the creation of National Parks, allowed people to experience the breathtaking landscapes of the United States in new ways. Artists traveled along popular routes, recording the terrain they encountered.

This exhibition explores the sublime natural landscapes of the Smokey Mountains of Western North Carolina and Tennessee. While there were several regional schools of painting around this time, this group is largely from the Midwest and many of the artists trained at the Art Institute of Chicago or in New York City. Through their travels, they captured waterfalls, sunsets, thunderstorms, autumn foliage, lush green summers, and snow-covered mountains—elements that were novel for viewers from cities and rural areas. Though some of these paintings include people, they are usually used for scale and painted with little to no detail, highlighting the magnificence of nature.

Rudolph F. Ingerle, Mirrored Mountain, not dated, oil on canvas, 28 × 32 inches. Courtesy of Allen & Barry Huffman, Asheville Art Museum.

Bender Gallery Artists Featured in Asheville Art Museum Exhibition The New Salon: A Contemporary View The Asheville Art Museum will be opening their exhibit, The New Salon: A Contemporary View, on March 8 and it will run until August 19, 2024. The New Salon offers a modern take on the prestigious tradition of the Parisian Salon with the diversity and innovation of today’s art world. Guest-curated by Gabriel Shaffer, the show will include works from Pop Surrealism, Outsider Art, Street Art, and Graffiti genres.   Bender Gallery has been collaborating with the Asheville Art Museum to loan four paintings from three of our artists. The artists are Laine Bachman, Kukula, and Yui Sakamoto. Be sure to check out this special exhibition in downtown Asheville. Learn More Kukula, Impossible Voyage, oil on board, 48 x 24 inches Kukula (b. 1980, Israel) Nataly Abramovitch, better known in the art world as, Kukula, paints imagined worlds filled with elaborately dressed women in fanciful settings. The artist does extensive research on the layouts of paintings from the Renaissance and Rococo periods. Kukula subverts these images by depicting women characters in place of traditionally male positions and settings. Her characters are powerful, commanding, and have an air of indifference. Available Work Yui Sakamoto, Self Portrait, oil on canvas, 63 x 63 inches Yui Sakamoto (b. 1981, Japan) Our surrealist artist, Yui Sakamoto, will have two paintings featured including My Soul and Self Portrait. Self Portrait is still available from his recent solo exhibition at Bender Gallery. Standing in front of Self Portrait, one is immersed in the dual-worlds of Sakamoto’s Japanese and Mexican cultures. There is a sense of calm reflected in the repeating rose pattern, mixed with the uneasy realization that the coral, fungi, and otherworldly forms are what makeup the figure. Available Work Laine Bachman, Night Bloomers, acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24 inches Laine Bachman (b. 1974, USA) Our prolific Magical Realism artist, Laine Bachman, makes a feature in the exhibition with her painting, Night Bloomers. She has been hard at work making 17 new pieces for her solo exhibition at the Canton Art Museum in Canton, Ohio. The Canton show opens on April 28 and continues through to July 28, 2024. Available Work

Yoga with goats…it is just as ridiculous and amazing as it sounds. You can expect to grin, giggle, move, and flow alongside the sweetest little snuggly socialites. The goats may pull your attention away from your movement practice from time to time but they are the most adorable anchors to the present moment and can spark pure joy.

Disconnect with stress and connect with loving, social & adorable goats! This is a unique opportunity to spend time in a cozy, open-air barn and let the busyness of the world melt away for a moment. You can expect a beginner-friendly yoga class that is easy to follow…and rejoin if you find yourself distracted throughout.

Wear loose fitting clothing, long pants, shirts with sleeves, and clothes that you don’t mind getting a bit dirty. Please plan on bringing your own yoga mat or you may rent a mat in advance for $5. Don’t forget to bring an open mind and adventurous spirit! It is sure to be an experience to remember!

The Marché is a carefully curated market organized by Atelier Maison & Co. within their furniture studio in Asheville. The event showcases a selection of local artisans and makers, offering a diverse range of products such as textiles, woodwork, fresh farmed flowers, and art, all originating from the mountains of North Carolina.

Buncombe County will continue to offer ASAP’s Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables and Farm Fresh Produce Prescription.

Plan to collaborate with other musicians at Sideways Farm & Brewery in Etowah. Bring your instruments and voices and enjoy making music and networking with other artists, while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Food truck is on site and beverages available for purchase from Sideways (small
batch craft beers, hard jun, ciders, wine, and non alcoholic drinks). Family, fans, friends, and leashed dogs are all welcome!
During winter months enjoy playing under the covered, sheltered, heated porch! And during the summer months enjoy
collaborating in the fields, on the stage, or under the patio

With a curated beer and wine selection, craft cocktails, and air of sophistication, Wine & Roses offers a peek into the
captivating personality of the hotel’s namesake, Zelda Fitzgerald.
Designed by Hatteras Sky and with interiors by Nashville-based firm, Anderson Design Studio,
Wine & Roses is tucked within a thoughtfully restored turn-of-the-century mansion in Asheville’s
South Slope neighborhood. Wine & Roses is inspired by the clandestine meetings that first
ignited their whirlwind courtship, leaving Zelda wistfully nostalgic and furiously imaginative in her
writing and artistry. The space exudes warmth with golden hues, dim lighting, and lush velvet
accents. Always topped with fresh roses, the eight-seat bar at Wine & Roses sits under
glimmering chandeliers and overlooks a portrait of Zelda herself. Additional seating for up to 21
guests is spread throughout the bar area. A dreamy outdoor patio boasts two roaring fire pits
and 24 additional seats for those who choose to indulge al fresco.
Wine & Roses serves craft cocktails like The Sayre (Monkey 47, lemon, orange blossom, egg
white, and orange bitters), The Fitz (Four Roses, demerara simple syrup, angostura bitters,
orange, and luxardo cherry), and the Gilded Girl (Casamigos Reposado, orange curacao,
apricot juice, and lime juice), and a curated selection of local beers and wines by the glass. A
small menu of decadent bites will debut later this summer.
Wine & Roses is open to guests Sunday through Thursday from 4pm to 8pm, and to the public
Friday and Saturday nights from 4pm to 10pm. For additional information about Wine & Roses,
to book a private event, or to reserve a seat at the bar, call Zelda Dearest at 828.514.2489, visit
zeldadearest.com, or follow @zeldadearest on Instagram.

Its our 15th year and to celebrate, Brooklyn-based goth folk band Charming Disaster plays live music for burlesque and variety acts in this immersive spooky show. VIPS enjoy an Underworld Survival Kit and a private pre-show juggling set by international comedy circus artist Paolo Garbanzo. VIP doors & show 7pm, Gen Adm at 7:30.

Immerse yourself in the magic of twilight and experience the wonders of nighttime in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Enjoy a mindful, integrative experience along the French Broad River as the sun sets and the full moon rises. Experience the golden hour and the beauty of dusk and moonlight like never before. During this guided nature immersion, explore a series of invitations to quiet your mind and awaken your senses while deepening your connection with nature, community, and Self.

This gentle and restorative experience is suitable for most ages and activity levels and will not exceed one-mile round trip. We’ll end with a candle-lit wild-foraged tea ceremony!

These retreats take place on peaceful private property.

KC and the Sunshine Band are still as widely popular today as they were when they first danced
into the music scene 50 years ago. Harry Wayne Casey—KC for short—developed a unique
fusion of R&B and funk, with a hint of a Latin percussion groove, giving us an impressive string
of hits like “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s The Way (I Like It)” and “Shake Your Booty.” With
sales of over 100 million records, nine Grammy nominations, three Grammy Awards and an
American Music Award, KC and the Sunshine Band was one of the most progressive bands of
the 70s and is credited with changing the sound of modern pop music. Today, KC and the
Sunshine Band play over 100 live shows annually, circling the country and playing dates
regularly throughout Europe, Australia and South America. This year KC will celebrate 50 years
of entertaining us, writing songs, and performing around the world and has no intention of
stopping.

In the last decade KC has continued to influence the dance and disco scene by releasing new
music, most recently his single, “Unconditional Love featuring Bimbo Jones.” In March of 2015
KC and the Sunshine Band released, “Feeling You! The 60s.” The album was a tribute to the era
that shaped KC into the revolutionary artist he became in the 70s. Covers on the album include
songs by sixties legends Bob Dylan, Ben E. King, The Kinks, The Righteous Brothers, Jackie
DeShannon, Aaron Neville and many more. Just like the rest of America during that time he was
inspired by the music, innocence, sex, social and political movements and counterculture of the
era, which led to him founding the Dance Revolution and teaching the world how to boogie.
“The widespread social and political issues of the 1960s was, in part, the inspiration to do
something that would make people forget about their problems and be happy,” said Casey.
“People were looking for something that would divert their attention from the negative aspects of
everyday life surrounding them.”

KC started working in the music business at age 17, performing menial tasks around the T.K.
Records/Studio complex in his hometown of Miami. The Sunshine Band originated in 1973.
Their first record, Blow Your Whistle, made the top 15 on the R&B chart. Their second album,
KC and the Sunshine Band, was released in 1975, went triple platinum and contained the #1 hits
“Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way (I Like It),” “Boogie Shoes” and “Rock Your Baby.” KC
and the Sunshine Band became the first act to score four #1 pop singles in one 12-month period
since the Beatles in 1964. Three of those singles also crossed over to become #1 R&B tracks.
KC’s third album, Part 3, released in 1976, also went triple platinum and contained the #1
singles “I’m Your Boogie Man,” “Shake Your Booty” and “Keep It Comin’ Love.” The band’s
string of hit singles continued with “Boogie Shoes,” which was included on the Saturday Night

Fever soundtrack, “Please Don’t Go” and “Yes, I’m Ready,” a duet with high school friend Teri
DeSario. KC returned to the charts in 1983 with “Give It Up,” which also hit #1 in the UK.
KC’s success in music has earned him an extensive list of accolades including an American
Music Award for Best R&B Artist in 1975 and a songwriting Grammy for Best R&B song for
“Where Is The Love,” which was recorded by Betty Wright. He also received a Grammy Award
for Album of the Year, as well as Producer of the Year in 1978 for his work on the Saturday
Night Fever soundtrack. In 2001, KC was honored with the NARAS Governor’s Award, the
highest honor given by a chapter of the Academy. He received a coveted Star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame in 2002, where Dick Clark and music producer Michael Lloyd turned out to honor
him. This particular recognition represents the passion that KC has in writing music,
implementing elements of various eras in his songs, proving him to be a passionate, veteran
craftsman. All of these career highlights are chronicled in his book, That’s The Way I Like It –
The Harry Wayne Casey Story, which was published that same year.
KC’s music continues to be a favorite today. His songs have appeared in ads for companies like
General Motors, Burger King, Payless Shoes, Papa John’s Pizza, Old Navy and Nick at Nite. His
music has also been featured in over 200 commercials and movies such as Forrest Gump (“Get
Down Tonight”), Boogie Nights (“Boogie Shoes”), Boys Don’t Cry (“Rock Your Baby”), Rush
Hour (“Get Down Tonight”), Carlito’s Way (“Rock Your Baby,” “Shake Your Booty” and
“That’s The Way I Like It”) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (“Shake Your Booty”). In the
summer of 2003, KC also had a cameo in the feature film The In-Laws starring Michael Douglas
and Albert Brooks.

KC’s songs are regularly heard at sporting events, were featured during Opening Ceremonies of
the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy and he even performed a free concert in Salt Lake
City for the 2002 Winter Olympics. No stranger to the small screen, KC’s songs have been
featured in such shows as Desperate Housewives, Ally McBeal, American Bandstand’s 50th
Anniversary Party and most recently American Idol and Dancing With The Stars with the help of
the USC marching band. Additionally, KC and the Sunshine Band have the distinction of having
made more appearances on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve than any other artist in the
program’s history!

Music acts like White Zombie, Baha Men, Beyoncé and American Idol’s Kelly & Justin have
covered his music. Additionally, KC and the Sunshine Band’s grooves and bass lines have been
sampled in everything from “Rap” by Snoop Dogg to “Trick Daddy to Dance” by Ultra Nate and
many, many more.

You can count on hearing his music on the radio, at a nightclub, at the movies, in a sports arena
or at one of the 100-plus concerts KC and the Sunshine Band plays every year. It is always fun
and truly makes all who hear it happy enough to dance!

For more information and to stay up-to-date, visit heykcsb.com and connect on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT ROYAL SUITS:

Consistently described as “the best live party band” by people of all ages, Royal Suits delivers an unforgettable experience with every performance. From Motown mashups to Hip Hop medleys, they seamlessly move through decades of hits like the world’s best DJ, no pauses, just a continuous flow that keeps the dance floor packed!  Featuring 5 phenomenal vocalists and a band tighter than a well-stacked deck, Royal Suits turns every show into an immersive musical celebration.

“The Four Seasons story still hits all the high notes!” Experience the Unforgettable Music and Untold Story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons with Jersey Boys. This Tony Award-winning musical, filled with chart-topping hits, captivating storytelling, and electrifying performances, will have audiences singing and dancing in their seats. Featuring iconic songs like “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” this musical is a celebration of the timeless music that defined a generation. Don’t miss your chance to experience the magic, the music, the story of Jersey Boys.

The Montford Park Players is pleased to announce auditions for its 52nd  Season: 

Muse of Fire: Shakespeare’s Wars of the Roses

Jason Williams, Artistic Director

5/10/2024 5/24/2024   Edward III, directed by Mandy Bean
5/31/2024 6/23/2024   Richard II, directed by Jason Williams
6/28/2024 7/21/2024   Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, directed by Dr. George Brown, Callista Brown and Elizabeth DeVault
7/26/2024 8/25/2024   Henry V, directed by David Doersch
8/30/2024 9/22/2024  Henry VI Parts 1, 2 & 3, directed by Glenna Grant, Ariel Robinson and Adam Kampouris
9/27/2024 10/27/2024 Richard III, directed by Kristi DeVille

Conveniently located in the heart of the Historic Montford District of Asheville, North Carolina, the Outdoor Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre is easy to get to and accessible from I-240 and I-26. And, it’s just a short drive down Montford Avenue from downtown.

Immerse yourself in the magic of twilight and experience the wonders of nighttime in the Blue Ridge Mountains. From sunset and starry skies to fireflies, we’ll marvel at Mother Nature’s light shows as we explore the forest, hoping to encounter the elusive Blue Ghost Firefly species!

Infusing sanguine melodies with infectious Afro-Cuban rhythms, this Grammy-winning singer-songwriter combines the music of his home with jazz, funk, rock and pop to create a truly unparalleled sound. Alex takes apart complex cultural arrangements and mixes in soul-tinged hooks and catchy pop tempos, all while keeping the soulful simplicity of Cuban music alive. He’s always exploring, always creating something fresh and new — and always, it seems, getting it just right.

On Bob Dylan’s 83rd birthday, May 24th, The Knotty G’s will be joined by some of Asheville’s most loved and versatile musicians, to celebrate him by playing selections from one of the most prolific catalogues in music history. Don’t get caught out on Desolation Row and get your tickets today!

Every Friday evening Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over the country. This week we have an extra silly show!

Roll of the Dice is a comedy show of chance. Each comedian will roll a 20 sided die and whatever number it lands on is how much stage time they recieve! One minute laughs to 20min sets, anything can happen!!!

ages 18+

doors at 8:45pm, show at 9:15pm