Work of the Week at the Asheville Art Museum

March 29 - April 4, Asheville Art Museum, 2 South Pack Square, Asheville North Carolina. Pinky Bass, Barbed Wire (from Limens and Sublimens).  1994, Photograph, Black and White Silver Gelatin Print, 27.88 x 36 inches. Museum Purchase with funds provided by Ray Griffin in honor of the 2007 Art Nouveaux and Thom Robinson. Bass is best known as a pinhole photographer although she also works in other media forms. Her work conveys universal themes of life, death and transformation, and she describes herself as a feminist, spiritualist and artist.  

Whatmore Art Museum Grand Opening

April 3,  3PM-8PM,  Andrews Art Museum, 837 Main Street, Andrews North Carolina. The Andrews Art Museum's Sister Museum, Whatmore Art Museum will hold its Grand Opening featuring artist Aaron Kent. Kent's work includes three outdoor installations and three indoor installations with small sculptures and photographs of his series 'Bones'.  Local performance artist Jeanne Powell will perform 'Fire & Art' in the Amphitheater, surrounded by a three acre park on the museum grounds. The Whatmore Art Museum includes in its programs an Artist in Residency program, an Artist Retreat, and Atelier Classes & Workshops.

April 1st Birthday - No Fooling!

April 1, 4PM-7PM, Quilters Quarters,  2020 Dellwood Road, Waynesville North Carolina. Join us for our 2nd Birthday Party with food and birthday cake. Free fat quarters for everyone and drawings for gift bags on the hour!  Silent Auction will be held during these hours. Demos for "Texturizing Magic" and  "Circle Cutter". http://www.quiltersquartersnc.com/

Asheville Arts Council has a Ball

March 26, 7PM-10PM, Grand Bohemian Hotel, 11 Boston Way, Asheville North Carolina. The Crystal Ball - Support the Asheville Arts Council by spending a night in an elegant atmosphere sipping Champagne, feasting on sumptuous Food and Art, enjoying a variety of live performances and bidding on Art, Jewelry, Pottery, Creative Adventures. Throughout the night, wander three rooms to be entertained by a variety of music and performance…sip wine, champagne and beer… sample some of the best food Asheville has to offer... mingle among friends and as you peruse the interesting blend of silent auction items.  Tickets are $65 per person and includes an assortment of food, champagne, wine, beer and desserts.

Wine Tasting at The Cottage Craftsman

March 26, 5PM-7PM, The Cottage Craftsman, 44 Fry St, Bryson City North Carolina. We're Going To The Dogs! Featured wines from Chateau Morrisette will be:

The Black Dog
Our Dog Blue
The Blushing Dog
Angel Chardonnay

Yummy Hor'Deurves, and a surprise new wine from Noreen Morley, Big Girl Winery, Special Guest (Jack)  $5.00 at the door benefits P.A.W.S.   http://thecottagecraftsman.com/

FANATICON Poster Contest Deadline

Deadline April 2. FANATICON is being hosted by the Asheville Art Museum in Pack Place on Sunday, May 15--and it needs a poster! Calling all artists, illustrators, painters and graphic designers: FANATICON needs you to create a poster masterpiece. The winning poster will be printed in full, glorious color and will publicize FANATICON in Asheville and throughout the universe. It will also be sold as a commemorative item on the day of the event. We need a poster that represents the fun and excitement of a comic book convention in Asheville, so let your imaginations run wild! Visit www.fanaticon.org for poster contest rules.

The FANATICON Poster Contest winner will receive $250 and an Annual Family/Dual Membership to the Asheville Art Museum (a $70 value)! So, what are you waiting for? Read the rules, grab your paints, watercolors, chalk or mouse and make some magic! If you have any questions, feel free to email Chance at info@fanaticon.org.

Dolph Smith & Friends Penland Reception

March 26, 7PM-8:30PM, Penland Gallery, 67 Doras Trail, Penland North Carolina. Artist, Educator, Mentor, Rascal: Dolph Smith and Friends. Celebrating book arts instructor Dolph Smith's years of teaching. Exhibit begins March 23 - and continues through May 9 with an opening reception on March 26.

A Toolkit for Creativity at Random Arts

March 27th - 10am till 4pm, Random Arts, Saluda North Carolina. A variety of dyes, daubers, gesso and paint techniques for textural backgrounds are demonstrated. Participants discover the possibilities of combining fabric with paper by learning to use fusible web. The tool kit is an embellished cigar box, complete with paint brush handle. The first tool is an Owner's Manual - a small booklet fashioned from a metal label file folder. Not only is the Tool Kit a visual treat, it is filled with helpful "power tools" for inspiring creativity! From Beginners to Advanced,  it will be a full day of creative fun! The workshop will be conducted by Kristi Steiner  - For more info on Kristi or to see her other work click here.  $80. Supply list sent upon registration.(828-699-2210)

March Featured Artist at the Asheville Art Museum Shop

March, Asheville Art Museum Shop, 2 S. Pack Square, Ahseville North Carolina. The Museum Shop March Artist of the Month: Moni Hill.  The  work of Asheville Artist Moni Hill is about colors and their relationships. "I think of myself as a color match-maker, making sure that no spot of color is left alone without its compliment. My palette consists mostly of cadmiums and cobalts. Things that excite me about my paintings are the hidden patches of canvas or scraps of old jeans that are primed on to all of my wood panels; the lead pencil lines which offer proof of the process; new color combinations; and unexpected object placement."

MS Hill's work may also be found at Gallery Minerva and her exhibit titled "Journeys" hanging at the Asheville Community Theater for the whole month of March.

Artist's Work documents and benefits LTLT

March 23-27, Western Carolina University's Fine Arts Museum, Cullowhee North Carolina. Phyllis Jarvinen Thesis Exhibition work focuses on the Tessentee Bottomland Preserve, a property of the LTLT www.ltlt.org. It includes pinhole photographs taken at the site and large digital prints, print collections, and artist's books that include the pinhole photographs. Purchases will include the donation to Land Trust for The Little Tennessee of 15% for non-members and 20% for members. Reception March 27, 1:30-3:30 pm

Through March 28, Spring Street Cafe, Sylva North Carolina: Watershed - close to home show of paintings and drawings. The tonal watercolors are done on transparent or semi-transparent media using the flowing qualities of watercolor to depict and evoke the the river. All works were done on site at streams or rivers in the local area. 15% of purchases from both shows will be donated to the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee. If you are a member of the Land Trust the donation is an additional 5%.

New Newgard at Heartwood Gallery

Heartwood Gallery,  21 E. Main Street, Saluda North Carolina. The Heartwood Gallery announces new work by Asheville Potter Karen Newgard. Newgard describes the new work as being influenced by "The works of John Audubon and the birds that visit the feeder outside my studio window". Her work employs the sgraffito (pronounced scra-fee-toe) carving technique, developed in the eastern Mediterranean, using imagery from everyday experiences.

Heartwood Gallery is a 100% American Craft Gallery now in its 25th year.

Pre-publication Limited Edition of MAKERS: A HISTORY OF AMERICAN STUDIO CRAFT

The Center for Craft Creativity and Design has announced a release date of July 2010 for the much anticipated  Makers: A History of American Studio Craft textbook. The publication is not only full of facts and images, but it is a really great read. Makers follows the development of American studio craft from its roots in 19th-century reform movements to the rich diversity of expression at the end of the 20th century. A special limited pre-publications edition at 25% off the cover price, featuring a hand-tipped signature card from the authors. Orders must be placed by June 1, 2010 to receive this rate. Pre-order online today.

Body and Soul in Brevard

Ending March 12,   Transylvania Community Arts Council   349 S. Caldwell Street Brevard North Carolina .  BODY AND SOUL Exhibit - Mediums include sculpture, mixed media, collage, photography, wood, paintings, glass, jewelry, and much more.

Work of the Week at the Asheville Art Museum

March 8-14, Asheville Art Museum, 2 South Pack Square, Asheville North Carolina.  William Wegman, Red Detachment. William Wegman is best known as an art photographer noted for compositions of his Weimaraner dogs in various costumes, poses and scenarios. Wegman received international attention for his images of his first Weimaraner dog, Man Ray. This work is currently in the Museum's newest exhibition Limners to Facebook: Portraiture from the 19th to the 21st Century , which includes formal portraits, self-portraits, portraits of animals and portraits of friends, models and celebrities. In this case, Wegman's photo captures both a portrait of an animal and a celebrity.

2nd Saturday Artist Market

March 13, The Rocket Club, 401 Haywood Road Asheville North Carolina. 2nd Saturday Artist Market.  Monthly Artist Market: 2nd Saturday of each month, March through December, inside the Rocket Club in West Asheville. A wide variety of arts and crafts, community booth featuring a local organization each month and food from a local favorite! Artist booths $25/month or $15 each if sharing.

HandMade in America Classes

March 15 Andrews North Carolina. Free Class from HandMade in America: Online Marketing, Technology, Sales, & Arts Business Growth. The classes will start at 6:00pm every third Monday of the month. Andrews Valley Initiative 985 Main St Andrews, NC

HandMade Creative Lab & Social Mixer

March 8, 5:15PM, HandMade in America Design Lab, 125 S. Lexington Ave., Suite 102 (corner of S. Lexington & Hilliard Ave.) Asheville North Carolina. Product Development Ideas:
- Discover emerging trends through discussions with other artists
- Test your dream product concepts and gain valuable feedback
- Share information on cutting-edge techniques and approaches
**We will welcome special guests specializing in product development to talk to the group and answer questions. Social Mixer afterwards at Asheville Brewing Company at 77 Coxe Ave.

ARTmob Artist Talk at Asheville Gallery

March 4, 5:30PM, Blue Spiral 1, downtown Asheville North Carolina. The Asheville Art Museum's ARTmob presents Art Talk with Gabriel Shaffer. Shaffer lives and works in Asheville, and is the son of renowned folk/visionary artist Cher Shaffer. Gabriel has exhibited in over 90 shows and sold hundreds of works to collectors, galleries and museums throughout various major cities nationally and internationally.
The ARTmob is the Museum's exciting new Member group for a vibrant young adult crowd. To contribute ideas for future events or to join ARTmob, Membership Manager & Development Associate at 828.253.3227, ext. 114 or rlynch-maass@ashevilleart.org.

Clay Date Night in Asheville

March 12, 6PM-9PM, Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts, 236 Clingman Avenue Asheville North Carolina. You are sure to have a great night learning some slippery moves at this monthly event. Bring a date, come with friends, or meet someone new on a Friday night! Our instructors will walk you through a few simple projects, or you can impress your date with your own creations. $25 per person, $45 for two people. 828-285-0210

Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree Featured Artist

Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree, 262 Oak Street, Spruce Pine North Carolina. Meet Our Featured Artist Ina Hilemon: "I grew up in Mitchell County in a house on a hill overlooking the Toe River. When I was around 10 or 11 years old I asked my mother for a sewing machine for Christmas."...read more about Ina by clicking here.

Art Exhibit at Opportunity House

March 12 - April 9, Grace Etheredge Room at Opportunity House, 1411 Asheville Highway,  Hendersonville North Carolina. The Arts League of Henderson County presents an exhibit by Costanza Knight entitled Polyrhythms that opens Friday, March 12th and runs through April 9th in the Grace Etheredge Room at Opportunity House. Knight, a watermedia and mixed media artist, creates contemporary expressions that celebrate the human form and the landscape. Her recent Blue Green Jazz Series explores music as a subject matter.