School is almost out - but you can take a workshop this summer!

Barbara Zaretsky of Cloth Fiber Workshop describes her processes

School will be out for most students soon – but that doesn’t mean we all stop learning over the summer!  If you live in the Asheville area, or you're thinking of a visit to Western NC, you can explore and learn something new in the arts. 
 
There are many opportunities at different levels of engagement.  Here are some easy ones to take part in:
 
1: See artist at work.  You’ll see demonstrations going on in many places.  Always, always, everyday you can see artists at work at The Folk Art Center in east Asheville.  Often you can see artists at work at Grovewood Gallery, Mountain Made Gallery, and studios in the River Arts District. 
 
2. Take a tour.  This is the next step of engaging by watching and learning, but it’s curated to your interests and you have the undivided attention of the artist.  It’s much more personal - and you can see some of the nature or architectural sites in the region as well. (with me as your guide!)
 
3. Sign up for a workshop. “But I’m not creative.” “I was never good at drawing/painting/clay.”  I’ve heard all those comments before!  They are just a way of saying: “I’m not a professional artist”, well - neither am I, but a workshop is a lot of fun! You won’t be expected to be wonderful at trying something new the first time ;)  so just enjoy the process.

Opportunities are all around.  You can sign up for a short hands-on experience at the Silver River Center for Chair Caning; with Cloth Fiber Workshop; at the NC Glass Center; at The Village Potters; with artists in the Local Cloth studio; at the Asheville Art Museum; and several artists I offer tours to also teach workshops! Another place to check out is the Tryon School of Arts & Crafts - they always have classes and workshops offered!
 

Music news in Western NC

Tour to Jerry Read Smith's instrument-making studio.

Visitors exploring Western North Carolina have many reasons to come: perhaps for the fine craft and art that’s so abundant in this region (my favorite reason); or for the majestic Biltmore Estate; possibly outdoor hiking and biking on the Blue Ridge Parkway; or glamping in the area! 

One other significant draw to this beautiful part of our country is music.  Music and handcrafts have always been partners in life and tourism in this region, so it’s fitting to bring you a little news in the music arena this month!

There are music venues around the region offering concerts in all genres. 

Music heritage is very strong: Asheville hosts the annual Shindig on the Green every summer, and nearby in Mars Hill, NC you can attend the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival held every October.

A huge advocate of local music is the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.  In 2012 they developed the Blue Ridge Music Trails encompassing 29 Western NC counties. The Blue Ridge Music Trails recently partnered with WNCW-FM to further their reach.  You can now hear Laura Boosinger, Director of the Madison County Arts Council, tell the story of the rich heritage of traditional bluegrass and old-time music in this region.

Also, if you’re curious about handcrafted instruments, be sure to learn about these Asheville area artists: Chris Abell, flutes; Jerry Read Smith, hammered dulcimers; and Lee Entrekin, Native American flutes.

Blacksmithing in WNC - 2 events in April!

Spring is such a stunning time to visit Western NC – are you planning your trip?   
So many people come to Asheville to go to The Biltmore Estate. I recently renewed my Biltmore annual pass and can’t wait to go and see the magnificent landscape there.  Biltmore's blog reminded me that they have a resident blacksmith!  He is working at the Antler Hill Barn and demonstrates and answers questions from guests.  Learn more here.

Coming up in April are two metal/blacksmithing events in the region: 

Saturday, April 1, you can attend Glass and Metal Day at the Folk Art Center where Southern Highland Craft Guild members will demonstrate glass and metal techniques.  

Saturday, April 29, drive up to Spruce Pine, NC for the Fire on the Mountain Blacksmith Festival.  This event takes over downtown and features artists from across the country – they even let you try your hand at it!

The town of Spruce Pine is just a few miles from Penland School of Craft. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention blacksmith legends Daniel Boone VI and Bea Hensley who forged lifelong legacies in this mountain town. There is much to read on the internet if you wish to know more.  A short video here captures some of the magic of Bea Hensley's anvil with Bea and his son, Mike, performing a tune at a 1995 National Heritage Fellowship event in Washington, DC. Take a look - it'll make you smile!

Art and Fine Craft Events in Western NC - 2017

Western North Carolina has a great lineup of festivals and special events scheduled in 2017, many of these events are long standing annual events, and some are “brand new”.  Brand new includes two large show organizers bringing their festivals to Asheville this year:  on May 20-21 Hotworks Fine Art Show will be in the US Cellular Center (this weekend coincides with two other big events locally); then on July 1-2 the Howard Alan Group will bring their show to Pack Place, Asheville, calling it the Downtown Asheville Festival of the Arts with Craft Marketplace.  It will be interesting to see who shows up from around the country to exhibit their artwork in Asheville for these festivals!

Art and Fine Craft Events in Western NC - 2017
 

• February 17-19: National Arts & Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn; 30th anniversary
• March 4: Penland School Community Open House, 1pm-5pm
• March 9: New Exhibition opening at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery
• March 10: Asheville Art Museum, Art Break: The Art of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, 12pm
• March 17: Silver River Center for Chair Caning, Shaker Tape Weaving on a Chair Seat
• March 25: Black Mountain College Museum+Arts Center, 7th annual {Re}Happening, 3pm-10pm
• April 1: Glass & Metal Day, Folk Art Center, 10am-4pm
• April 8: Potters Market – Potters of Madison County at Marshall High Studios, 9am-4pm 
• April 29: Fire on the Mountain, blacksmithing event, 10am-4pm, Spruce Pine
• April 29-30: Weaverville Art Safari, 10am-5pm

• May 4: New Exhibition opening at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery
• May 13-14: Fiber Weekend, Folk Art Center
• May 20: Grovewood Gallery 25th anniversary celebration, 2pm-6pm
• May 20-21: River Arts District Studio Stroll
• May 20-21: Asheville Fine Art Show, 10am-5pm
• June 2-4: Toe River Studio Tour
• June 10: Southern Highland Clay Fest, Folk Art Center
• June 10, 17, 24: Asheville Art in the Park
• June 17: Centennial Anniversary of Biltmore Industries, 12pm
• June 29: New Exhibition opening at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery

• July 1-2: Downtown Asheville Festival of the Arts with Craft Marketplace, 10am-5pm
• July 20-23: Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
• August 5: Wood Day, Folk Art Center
• August 5-6: Biltmore Village Art & Craft Fair
• August 11-12: Penland School of Craft Annual Auction
• August 19-20: Come to Leicester Studio Tour

• September 16-17: Heritage Weekend, Folk Art Center
• September 29-October 1: Asheville Quilt Guild annual show at the NC Arboretum
• September 29-October 1: Fine Art and Craft Festival, Hendersonville.10am-5pm
• October 6-15: American Craft Week, national event with lots of WNC regional activities
• October 7, 14, 21: Asheville Art in the Park
• October 20-22: Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
• October 28-29: Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair at the WNC Ag Center

The questions people ask on a tour...

I’ve been on several tours since the last e-news with folks from as far away as Missouri, Nebraska, and a big group from California.  People are curious about this beautiful region of the country - and I’ve needed to know facts and information about Western NC to be able to share, so I’ve brushed up on some basics.  Here are some tidbits for you to refresh your memory!

·      Population of Asheville: close to 88,000; 11th largest city by population in NC. (Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro are top the 3)

·      Population of Buncombe County: close to 240,000

·      Average snowfall (lots of people ask this!) 14-16” total annually. This leads into telling about the National Climatic Data Center located in Asheville…which leads into telling about Grove Arcades’ long history.

·      Elevation of Asheville: 2216 above sea level; and the highest peak in the Appalachian Mtn range is nearby in the Burnsville area - Mt Mitchell at 6684.

·      Tobacco used to be our largest crop. What do people farm now?: variety of organic vegetables (local restaurant connection), berries, Christmas trees and shrubs; medicinal and culinary herbs; hops, and grapes for wine. Good opportunity to share about the NC Arboretum.

·      Asheville is the nations’ first Bee City.

·      People know that NC is a furniture state.  – good opening to talk about the artisan furniture makers in the area!

·      Were there many Civil War battles in the area? oh goodness! I don’t know much about this question!

·      Are there still Cherokee in the area? To the west of Asheville is the Qualla Boundary where about 13,500 people of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reside – Qualla Arts and Crafts is an impressive stop when you visit Cherokee!  Amazing baskets, carvings, beadwork and pottery.

·      The Blue Ridge Parkway is America’s longest linear park stretching 469 miles from VA to near Cherokee NC.  This year is the National Park Service’s 100 anniversary (2016)

And there’s more…but as you can see, visitors are curious about all sorts of information - and I enjoy sharing, from an area native, and craft lover, point of view!

Featured Artist: Pattiy Torno

Featured Artist:  Pattiy Torno

When getting to know Pattiy – you’ll probably realize that ‘artist’ is not a big enough word to describe her…I’d also add: arts advocate, pioneer/property owner in the RAD, entrepreneur and retailer, fashion designer – and I’ll also add gardener - because she has a beautiful one!

I’ve had the good fortune to build a relationship with Pattiy over the last few years and I want to encourage you to visit her at Curve Studios in the River Arts District.  Ladies – you’ll love the clothing Pattiy designs and makes; Guys – you can see pottery and chair caning in the Curve buildings or walk next door to 12 Bones while the women shop!

Pattiy attended Parson’s School of Design in NYC, she apprenticed in the clothing industry, and then she started her own fashion company designing and producing women’s sportswear. She wanted to be closer to her raw materials so she relocated to Asheville in ’84, and in ’89 bought the 3 buildings that would become Curve Studios in the River Arts District.  Her business has evolved and changed…she focused on quilting for a while and became a member of Piedmont Craftsmen and the Southern Highland Craft Guild.  Nowadays Pattiy incorporates her quilting background and her love of photography into ‘foto-piecings’.  If you visit, you’ll likely find Pattiy behind her sewing machine stitching up a beautiful dress or jacket…she’s always ready to greet you and make you welcome into her world.

France vacation + French journalist visit to Asheville

Journalists from France were fascinated by the murals in the River Arts District!

I had a flash back to 2003 recently…in the Fall of ‘03 my family had a marvelous vacation to France.  My Mom had just retired from 30 years of teaching and we wanted to give her a special trip – and of course we had to go with her!  Mom got her masters in education, and for her under-grad she minored in French. Our trip was in September, and both Mom and our son Ian celebrated their birthdays while we were in France. (we accidentally bought trick candles that didn’t blow out for their cake!!)

Part of our vacation was spent in the small city of Uzes, in southern France – not too far from Avignon.  At some point in the week we learned of a nearby ‘pottery town’ and off we went to discover that area.  My husband Mark is all about exploring and driving to see new places and we always go off the beaten path!

We ended up in St. Quentin la Poterie – and I soon learned what a wonderful destination this was for ceramics.  I was just thrilled to walk around the small town and see studio after studio of functional pottery.  I made a few purchases including 4 small dessert dishes that I love.

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of sharing a bit of the Asheville art scene to 4 visiting journalists from France (thankfully they spoke some English and had an interpreter with them!). We saw several studios, gallery spaces, some of the River Arts District and they seemed to really enjoy their visit!

Now that I’m in the business of offering art tours, I think back to this trip in ’03 and wish we’d had a guide so we really would have seen the best of the area – and not missed anything amazing.  That’s what I want to offer to you ;)  – if you want to explore the arts of Western NC…you know where to find me!