Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
Artsville Collective proudly presents the Virtual Gallery of Artists (VGA) program,
an initiative designed to help elevate the careers of local artists. VGA offers artists a unique
opportunity to gain global exposure, valuable marketing skills, and an array of promotional
resources. The VGA program invites individual artists to apply for three months of marketing
exposure through print, digital, and podcast platforms. Artsville provides guidance on building
relationships with the press and art buyers, empowering artists by coming alongside them and
forming connections. Notably, Artsville does not take any commissions on art sales, ensuring
artists keep their full earnings.
Nine artists introduced in first cohort from Oct- Jan include a carefully curated group
showing diversity in age, mediums, experience and exposure in the art markets so they may also
learn from each other. Meet Amy Massey, Candice Hensley, Elizabeth Walton, Georgia Deal,
Jean McLaughlin, Joseph Pearson, Max Cooper, Selene Plum, and Wendy Newman.
Accessible only online, Artsville’s VGA also provides VGA artists a comprehensive toolkit,
including newsletters, podcasts, discussion groups, and learning programs. Committed artists
who actively participate can earn recognition and further opportunities, such as involvement in
Artsville events, pop-up exhibits, and networking groups. In preparation for the holiday season,
Artsville will also present a curated holiday catalog of handmade gifts, offering a unique
opportunity for VGA participants to showcase their work to a wider audience.
Artsville Collective is dedicated to supporting and empowering the artistic community in
Western North Carolina. For further information about Artsville programs and opportunities,
contact Meredith McBride at [email protected] or 828-216-8050. Images and
Instagram- ArtsvilleUSA
Facebook- ArtsvilleCollective
The Asheville Art Museum is excited to be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year! Over the past seven and a half decades, the Museum has served as the hub for artistic inspiration and education in Western North Carolina, bringing together artists and art enthusiasts from all walks of life.
As we approach the holiday season, we reflect upon the transformative power of art and the indelible impact it has on the young minds that visit the Museum. This year, we are especially grateful for the enriching experiences made possible by the Museum, experiences that extend far beyond the confines of our walls and into the hearts and minds of future generations.
Imagine the excitement of a 10th-grade class stepping through the Museum doors, wide-eyed and curious, ready to embark on a journey of artistic discovery. Your support of the Annual Fund has played a pivotal role in shaping these moments of inspiration, allowing us to provide an immersive and educational environment that fosters creativity.
During their recent visit, students were transported into the vibrant world of art, exploring diverse exhibitions that span decades and cultures. The Museum’s thoughtfully curated exhibitions became a canvas for their imagination. Witnessing the awe in their eyes as they encountered the beauty of creativity was a testament to the lasting impact of your generosity.
The following message was forwarded to the Museum’s Learning and Engagement department by Jennifer Riels, an educator and parent. “Our class of 10th grade students came to the Museum on Monday, October 30. It was wonderful. I can’t remember the name of the man who led our tour, but he did a phenomenal job asking questions and connecting the art to math. We enjoyed our visit and are grateful for the opportunity that the Asheville Art Museum provided our students!”
Your continued support and dedication not only facilitates these eye-opening field trips but makes it possible for the Museum to expand its educational outreach programs. Through your contribution, we can continue to inspire the next generation of artists, thinkers, and visionaries.
In the spirit of gratitude, we invite you to donate to our Fall Annual Fund. Your support ensures that we can continue to provide transformative experiences, empowering students to think critically, express themselves creatively, and develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
Your support is not just an investment in the Asheville Art Museum; it is an investment in the cultural enrichment of our community and the development of young minds. Together, we can continue to create moments of inspiration that resonate for a lifetime. Make your gift today by clicking the DONATE NOW button, visiting www.ashevilleart.org/donate or calling 828.253.3227 x114.
Buncombe County Special Collections is excited to announce a call for proposals for the third year of its creative residency program.
This is an annual opportunity for artists in Buncombe County to create new, research-driven creative work using BCSC’s historic resources as source material and/or inspiration, and to present their work in the Carolina Record Shop, a dedicated exhibition space in the BCSC reading room. Artists age 18 and up, based in Buncombe County, working in any creative discipline are invited to apply.
Buncombe County Special Collections is looking for projects that will:
- Offer new, diverse perspectives on our shared history
- Identify and address gaps and/or amplify narratives that are historically underrepresented in the collection
- Educate and inspire non-traditional users of archives and special collections to engage with the collection in new ways.
More information (including the PDF of the call for proposals) is available at here. The 2024 Creative Residency is made possible in part by the Trust Fund for Buncombe County Public Libraries.
You can also visit Buncombe County Special Collections in the lower level of Pack Memorial to view the current exhibition in the Carolina Record Shop, “Belonging & Non-Belonging: The History and Future of Zines in Western North Carolina,” curated by 2023 resident Miles Lamberson.
Green Drinks lives on every Saturday as The Free & Open University of Eco-Sustainability on Facebook
To support local nonprofits during this holiday season, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County has compiled a list of volunteer and donation opportunities happening in our community in November and December.
If you are searching for ways to give to folks in need, by making a donation or giving some of your time to help out, please visit: 2023 Holiday Volunteer & Donation Opportunities for Buncombe County | Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, and we will get back to you with more information. Our response email will include a link which will give you access to a list with a variety of options you can choose from. Since new opportunities are being added every day, we encourage you to frequently check the list, especially if you did not find what you are looking for at the time.
We appreciate you and all that you do for our community. Please keep it up, especially for this holiday season.
Participating Organizations:
- ABCCM South
- Asheville High School/SILSA
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Erwin Middle School
- Montmorenci United Methodist Church
- United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County
*Note, this list will grow as new opportunities come in!
In order to receive details about these opportunities, simply
- Click the blue “respond” button above. visit this site: 2023 Holiday Volunteer & Donation Opportunities for Buncombe County | Hands On Asheville-Buncombe
- After responding, you will receive a confirmation email with more information and a link to access the list of opportunities.
- Remember, this list will be updated frequently, so make sure to check back frequently!
Home for the Holidays at Marked Tree is an annual Holiday Event in Henderson County for the entire Month of December. The month-long event kicks off each year on the day after Thanksgiving with the lighting of OTTO, rumored to Western NC’s largest Oak Tree! Otto was dressed in 2022 with over 6K lights! A modern lit holiday landscape drive-thru begins that night! Daily during December, guests can drive or hike around the property enjoying lighted vignettes around the landscape – in the meadow, the pines, the winery shed, Otto, and the Ghost House.
Starting on November 24th, Marked Tree will bring holiday cheer with weekly Holiday music performed by local musicians, carolers, and the Hendersonville Symphony. Holiday music will happen from 4:30pm-6:30pm on 11/24, 11/25, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16, and 12/23. For more information on who is preforming each night, visit their website, www.markedtreevineyard.com. Also, while you are enjoying the Holiday lights and music, stop by Marked Tree to pick up your Holiday Gift baskets- everyone loves the gift of wine!
It’s November again and that can only mean one thing: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)!
NaNoWriMo began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand-new novel.
If you are doing NaNoWriMo this year, the Buncombe County Public Libraries are here to help! Several branches will be hosting “Write-ins” throughout the month of November, offering quiet spaces for writers to come chip away at their word count. Each Write-in will have its own unique spin (snacks, ambient music, writing prompts, local author hosts, etc.), so please check the library event calendar for specific details.
In addition to the Write-Ins, a NaNoWriMo Wrap Party will be held at rEvolve Mercantile on Wednesday, December 6th from 6pm – 8pm. All NaNoWriMo participants are invited to join us for food, activities, prize raffles , and “micro mic” readings that will give each writer a chance to share a paragraph or two from their novel.
Any questions? Let us know.
A Helping of Graditude
River lovers are encouraged to support RiverLink and other community nonprofits through Give!Local, the annual philanthropy program organized by MountainXpress. The first 10 donors of $100 or more to RiverLink will be entered into a drawing for a kayak tour on the French Broad River with Renee Fortner, RiverLink’s expert water resources manager. First Bank is waiving transaction fees, so 100 percent of your donation goes to the nonprofits you select.
Participate in Give!Local
RiverLink deeply appreciates the contributions this community makes directly to the organization — whether as gifts of stock, required IRA distributions, donor-advised funds, donations made in memory of others, and all the ways you give. Please reach out to Susan Andrew at [email protected] for assistance with any of these giving modes. And anyone can use the handy Donate button at the bottom of our newsletters. Thank you! Sincere gratitude to RiverLink’s recent business supporters — we are honored by your contributions:
- Astral
- Bottle Riot
- Burial Beer Co.
- Cedar Rock Adventures
- Curtis Wright Outfitters
- East Fork Pottery
- Edgewater Resources
- Ferguson Waterworks
- Fresh Market
- Hellbender Paddleboards
- High Five Coffee
- Preserving a Picturesque America
- Whole Foods
- Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins
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We need your help and the help of your network to make this holiday drive as successful as possible in putting new books into the hands of Buncombe County elementary and middle school students during the holiday break.
What better way to spread holiday cheer than by donating books? Imagine the joy on a child’s face when they receive a brand-new book. It’s like sprinkling a little bit of magic into their lives!
We’ve partnered with over a dozen local organizations serving K-12 students throughout the county. They’re eagerly waiting for book drop-offs like kids waiting for the first snowfall! 
You can make a positive impact right now by donating directly using the button below, or why not turn giving back into an outing?
Holiday Book Drive 2023 (givebutter.com)
Visit the Barnes & Noble on Tunnel Road at the Asheville Mall to shop in-store and donate them on the spot.
The Asheville Art Museum is excited to be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year! Over the past seven and a half decades, the Museum has served as the hub for artistic inspiration and education in Western North Carolina, bringing together artists and art enthusiasts from all walks of life.
As we approach the holiday season, we reflect upon the transformative power of art and the indelible impact it has on the young minds that visit the Museum. This year, we are especially grateful for the enriching experiences made possible by the Museum, experiences that extend far beyond the confines of our walls and into the hearts and minds of future generations.
Imagine the excitement of a 10th-grade class stepping through the Museum doors, wide-eyed and curious, ready to embark on a journey of artistic discovery. Your support of the Annual Fund has played a pivotal role in shaping these moments of inspiration, allowing us to provide an immersive and educational environment that fosters creativity.
During their recent visit, students were transported into the vibrant world of art, exploring diverse exhibitions that span decades and cultures. The Museum’s thoughtfully curated exhibitions became a canvas for their imagination. Witnessing the awe in their eyes as they encountered the beauty of creativity was a testament to the lasting impact of your generosity.
The following message was forwarded to the Museum’s Learning and Engagement department by Jennifer Riels, an educator and parent. “Our class of 10th grade students came to the Museum on Monday, October 30. It was wonderful. I can’t remember the name of the man who led our tour, but he did a phenomenal job asking questions and connecting the art to math. We enjoyed our visit and are grateful for the opportunity that the Asheville Art Museum provided our students!”
Your continued support and dedication not only facilitates these eye-opening field trips but makes it possible for the Museum to expand its educational outreach programs. Through your contribution, we can continue to inspire the next generation of artists, thinkers, and visionaries.
In the spirit of gratitude, we invite you to donate to our Fall Annual Fund. Your support ensures that we can continue to provide transformative experiences, empowering students to think critically, express themselves creatively, and develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
Your support is not just an investment in the Asheville Art Museum; it is an investment in the cultural enrichment of our community and the development of young minds. Together, we can continue to create moments of inspiration that resonate for a lifetime. Make your gift today by clicking the DONATE NOW button, visiting www.ashevilleart.org/donate or calling 828.253.3227 x114.
Buncombe County Special Collections is excited to announce a call for proposals for the third year of its creative residency program.
This is an annual opportunity for artists in Buncombe County to create new, research-driven creative work using BCSC’s historic resources as source material and/or inspiration, and to present their work in the Carolina Record Shop, a dedicated exhibition space in the BCSC reading room. Artists age 18 and up, based in Buncombe County, working in any creative discipline are invited to apply.
Buncombe County Special Collections is looking for projects that will:
- Offer new, diverse perspectives on our shared history
- Identify and address gaps and/or amplify narratives that are historically underrepresented in the collection
- Educate and inspire non-traditional users of archives and special collections to engage with the collection in new ways.
More information (including the PDF of the call for proposals) is available at here. The 2024 Creative Residency is made possible in part by the Trust Fund for Buncombe County Public Libraries.
You can also visit Buncombe County Special Collections in the lower level of Pack Memorial to view the current exhibition in the Carolina Record Shop, “Belonging & Non-Belonging: The History and Future of Zines in Western North Carolina,” curated by 2023 resident Miles Lamberson.
To support local nonprofits during this holiday season, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County has compiled a list of volunteer and donation opportunities happening in our community in November and December.
If you are searching for ways to give to folks in need, by making a donation or giving some of your time to help out, please visit: 2023 Holiday Volunteer & Donation Opportunities for Buncombe County | Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, and we will get back to you with more information. Our response email will include a link which will give you access to a list with a variety of options you can choose from. Since new opportunities are being added every day, we encourage you to frequently check the list, especially if you did not find what you are looking for at the time.
We appreciate you and all that you do for our community. Please keep it up, especially for this holiday season.
Participating Organizations:
- ABCCM South
- Asheville High School/SILSA
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Erwin Middle School
- Montmorenci United Methodist Church
- United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County
*Note, this list will grow as new opportunities come in!
In order to receive details about these opportunities, simply
- Click the blue “respond” button above. visit this site: 2023 Holiday Volunteer & Donation Opportunities for Buncombe County | Hands On Asheville-Buncombe
- After responding, you will receive a confirmation email with more information and a link to access the list of opportunities.
- Remember, this list will be updated frequently, so make sure to check back frequently!
It’s November again and that can only mean one thing: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)!
NaNoWriMo began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand-new novel.
If you are doing NaNoWriMo this year, the Buncombe County Public Libraries are here to help! Several branches will be hosting “Write-ins” throughout the month of November, offering quiet spaces for writers to come chip away at their word count. Each Write-in will have its own unique spin (snacks, ambient music, writing prompts, local author hosts, etc.), so please check the library event calendar for specific details.
In addition to the Write-Ins, a NaNoWriMo Wrap Party will be held at rEvolve Mercantile on Wednesday, December 6th from 6pm – 8pm. All NaNoWriMo participants are invited to join us for food, activities, prize raffles , and “micro mic” readings that will give each writer a chance to share a paragraph or two from their novel.
Any questions? Let us know.
OGS is looking for energetic, passionate people to:
- Build community networks
- Act as change catalysts in the community
- Serve as ambassadors for organic growing & Organic Growers School
As a member of our Board of Directors!
OGS’s mission is to inspire, educate, and support people to farm, garden, and live organically through hands-on training, workshops, conferences, and partnerships. OGS is the premier provider of practical and affordable organic education in the Southern Appalachians, building a vibrant food and farming community by boosting the success of our region’s organic home growers and farmers.
The board of directors plays a critical role in the Organic Growers School. Board members are involved in program and policy oversight, financial management, strategic direction, and fundraising.
Do you…
Live or work in Western NC, Upstate SC, Northern GA, Eastern TN, or Southwest VA?
Have experience in one or more of the following areas?
- Board development
- Business/Finance
- Fundraising
- Human resources
- Strategic Planning
- Organic/Sustainable Farming or Gardening
- Social Justice
If you believe in the value of organic growing and want to be part of OGS’s change agenda, we have a chair for you at our boardroom table!
We encourage Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to apply. However you identify and whatever background you bring with you, if you find alignment and excitement in what OGS is doing in the world, join us and help us build an organization where we’re all proud to belong.
If you are interested in joining our board, please fill out and submit the form linked below. We’re looking forward to meeting you!
If you have any questions about serving on the board or Organic Growers School, please don’t hesitate to call or email Cameron Farlow at 828-338-9465 or E: [email protected].
A Helping of Graditude
River lovers are encouraged to support RiverLink and other community nonprofits through Give!Local, the annual philanthropy program organized by MountainXpress. The first 10 donors of $100 or more to RiverLink will be entered into a drawing for a kayak tour on the French Broad River with Renee Fortner, RiverLink’s expert water resources manager. First Bank is waiving transaction fees, so 100 percent of your donation goes to the nonprofits you select.
Participate in Give!Local
RiverLink deeply appreciates the contributions this community makes directly to the organization — whether as gifts of stock, required IRA distributions, donor-advised funds, donations made in memory of others, and all the ways you give. Please reach out to Susan Andrew at [email protected] for assistance with any of these giving modes. And anyone can use the handy Donate button at the bottom of our newsletters. Thank you! Sincere gratitude to RiverLink’s recent business supporters — we are honored by your contributions:
- Astral
- Bottle Riot
- Burial Beer Co.
- Cedar Rock Adventures
- Curtis Wright Outfitters
- East Fork Pottery
- Edgewater Resources
- Ferguson Waterworks
- Fresh Market
- Hellbender Paddleboards
- High Five Coffee
- Preserving a Picturesque America
- Whole Foods
- Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins
We need your help and the help of your network to make this holiday drive as successful as possible in putting new books into the hands of Buncombe County elementary and middle school students during the holiday break.
What better way to spread holiday cheer than by donating books? Imagine the joy on a child’s face when they receive a brand-new book. It’s like sprinkling a little bit of magic into their lives!
We’ve partnered with over a dozen local organizations serving K-12 students throughout the county. They’re eagerly waiting for book drop-offs like kids waiting for the first snowfall!
You can make a positive impact right now by donating directly using the button below, or why not turn giving back into an outing?
Holiday Book Drive 2023 (givebutter.com)
Visit the Barnes & Noble on Tunnel Road at the Asheville Mall to shop in-store and donate them on the spot.
Included with admission
Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.
Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.
Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!
Whether you start decorating for the holidays before Thanksgiving or well into December, now is the best time to get into the holiday spirit by sponsoring a gift for kids or adults.
Being an adult without a support network, an adult with a disability, or a kid in foster care can be tough over the holidays; this is a great opportunity to let them know that the community cares for them.
Every year, Buncombe County hosts an Adult Wish Tree and a Foster Care Wish Tree that allows members of the community to sponsor a gift for someone this holiday.
Foster Care Wish Tree
Each year, children in foster care in Buncombe County submit a list of wishes they would like for the holidays.
To sign up to sponsor a child, click this link and select the person you would like to sponsor. You will receive an email confirmation that provides a copy of the wish list and all the instructions for drop-off.
A note from Health and Human Services:
Hello and thank you for your generosity this holiday season. We are grateful for your unwavering support for our foster youth. Here at Buncombe County Health and Human Services, we are dedicated to meeting the needs of our foster youth, and having your support means so much to us and our kids. You are not just providing gifts this holiday season; you are telling someone that they matter and that they are important! That is something to celebrate! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
If you have any questions about your sponsorship, please call Amber Cook at 828-772-5553 or email [email protected] during business hours of 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday.
Adult Wish Tree
When you can’t drive a car or don’t have someone to bring you the things you might need, like a new nightgown or socks, it can be tough. The Adult Wish Tree is a Buncombe County program that works with agencies throughout the county to identify adults and adults with disabilities who don’t have access to a support network to help with these basic needs. The program also identifies young adults in our extended foster care program who will likely not receive a gift this year. Please consider selecting an adult to sponsor this holiday season.
To sign up to sponsor an adult, click this link and select the person you would like to sponsor. You will receive an email confirmation that provides a copy of the wish list and all the instructions for drop-off.
A note from Health and Human Services:
This holiday season we hope you will choose one of the many names that are submitted by Health and Human Services and our partner agencies for adults and adults with disabilities. It is such a joy to see the smiles on the faces of adults who have their wishes fulfilled, as these are adults who are not expected to have anyone else to provide them with a gift this year.
If you have questions, please email us at [email protected].
Happy Holidays and thank you for supporting those who need a little extra care this upcoming season.
Give the gift of holiday joy in the form of a unique, beautiful, locally made ornament! Handcrafted ornaments made by local artists will be for sale in our lobby on our Christmas tree through the middle of December. Gift the gift of art this year and support local artists in the process!
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| Images: Left: Minna Wright Citron, Squid Under Pier, 1948, color etching, soft-ground, and engraving on paper, edition 42/50, 15 x 17 7/8 inches, 2010 Collections Circle purchase, Asheville Art Museum. © Estate of Minna Citron/Licensed by VAGA at ARS, New York. Right: Dorothy Dehner, Woman #2, 1954, watercolor and ink on paper, 22 3/4 x 18”, courtesy of Dolan Maxwell. |
The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition American Art in the Atomic Age: 1940–1960, which explores the groundbreaking contributions of artists who worked at the experimental printmaking studio Atelier 17 in the wake of World War II. Co-curated by Marilyn Laufer and Tom Butler, American Art in the Atomic Age which draws from the holdings of Dolan/Maxwell, the Asheville Art Museum Collection, and private collections will be on view from November 10, 2023–April 29, 2024.
Atelier 17 operated in New York for fifteen years, between 1940 and 1955. The studio’s founder, Stanley William Hayter (1901–1988) established the workshop in Paris but relocated to New York just as the Nazi occupation of Paris began in 1940. Hayter’s new studio attracted European emigrants like André Masson, Yves Tanguy, and Joan Miró, as well as American artists like Dorothy Dehner, Judith Rothschild, and Karl Schrag, allowing for an exchange of artistic ideas and processes between European and American artists.
The Asheville Art Museum will present over 100 works that exemplify the cross-cultural exchange and profound social and political impact of Atelier 17 on American art. Prints made at Atelier 17—including those by Stanley William Hayter, Louise Nevelson, and Perle Fine—will be in conversation with works by European Surrealists who were working at the studio in the 1940s and 1950s. The exhibition will also feature a selection of domestic mid-century objects that exemplify how the ideas and aesthetics of post-war abstraction became a part of everyday life.
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.
Tyger Tyger Gallery is pleased to present Reckoning: Adornment as Narrative, a group exhibition curated by Asheville-based artist and curator Erika Diamond.
Reckoning: Adornment as Narrative is an exhibition of diverse practices, anchored at three points: methods of reckoning; the function of adornment; and the fusing of personal and cultural narrative. It features acts of glitz, embellishment, and homage by Shae Bishop, David Harper Clemons, Kashif Dennis, Annie Evelyn, Margaret Jacobs, Julia Kwon, Katrina Majkut, Heather Mackenzie, and Luis Sahagun. Through material language, each artist tells the story of their identity. Inherent to these stories are contradictions—between labor and value, feminine and masculine, natural and fabricated.
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.
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Western North Carolina is important in the history of American glass art. Several artists of the Studio Glass Movement came to the region, including its founder Harvey K. Littleton. Begun in 1962 in Wisconsin, it was a student of Littleton’s that first came to the area in 1965 and set up a glass studio at the Penland School of Craft in Penland, North Carolina. By 1967, Mark Peiser was the first glass artist resident at the school and taught many notable artists, like Jak Brewer in 1968 and Richard Ritter who came to study in 1971. By 1977, Littleton retired from teaching and moved to nearby Spruce Pine, North Carolina and set up a glass studio at his home. Since that time, glass artists like Ken Carder, Rick and Valerie Beck, Shane Fero, and Yaffa Sikorsky and Jeff Todd—to name only a few—have flocked to the area to reside, collaborate, and teach, making it a significant place for experimentation and education in glass. The next generation of artists like Hayden Wilson and Alex Bernstein continue to create here. The Museum is dedicated to collecting American studio glass and within that umbrella, explores the work of Artists connected to Western North Carolina. Exhibitions, including Intersections of American Art, explore glass art in the context of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries. A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of the medium can be seen in this selection of works from the Museum’s Collection. |
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
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- 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
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- 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
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- Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm
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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.
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