Opening Reception at the Andrews Art Museum

Oct 2 from 5 PM - 7PM the Andrews Art Museum will hold an opening reception for the October Exhibit.  The featured artist is Florence Putterman.  Putterman has been featured in many solo and group exhibitions in the United States and Europe. Her works have received numerous awards and accolades including the Distinguished Alumni Award from Pennsylvania State University. Her painting and prints can be seen in many museum and corporate collections including: Metropolitan Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum, New York; Chicago Art Institute, Chicago; and Jacksonville Museum, Polk Museum, and Gulf Coast Museum in Florida. Putterman is listed in Who's Who in American Art, Who's Who in American Women, and Who's Who in America.

The Andrews Art Museum is located on the mezzanine floor of the Cultural Arts Center at Chestnut & 3rd in downtown Andrews NC.

American Crafts Week Celebrated in WNC Galleries and Studios

Oct 1-10 American Craft Week brings together individuals, small businesses and organizations from all fifty states in recognition of the countless ways handmade objects enrich our daily lives and contribute to our national aesthetic and economy.  WNC is the largest regional celebration happening in the country with dozens of participants. Get direct links  for details about galleries, demonstrations and studio tours.

John C Campbell 37th Annual Fall Festival this Weekend

Fall is in the air and the folks at John C Campbell Folk School have been busy preparing the campus for the 37th annual Fall Festival, coming up this weekend, October 2 & 3. The fields have been hayed, the walking trails mulched, and the pumpkins and gourds harvested from the garden for a  great weekend full of music, dancing, and crafts,

If you have never experienced the Fall Festival, now is the time! With 225 craft vendors, 20 food vendors, 40 demonstrators, and continuous live entertainment, there is something for everyone:

Shop for crafts from local and regional artists located along the mulched paths throughout campus. You'll find baskets, jewelry, weaving, knitwear, pottery, home decor, wood carvings, brooms, ironwork, beeswax candles, quilts, woodturned bowls, handmade soap, and much more.
Enjoy live entertainment at the Craft Shop and Festival Barn stages. Listen to bluegrass, old-time, gospel and ballad singing, and get ready to be wowed by the cloggers and the garland and morris dancers. Check out the entertainment schedule here.
Fill up on handcrafted food made by local nonprofit and community groups. You'll find an assortment of delicious treats from scones and fried apple pies to veggie wraps, meat pies, and the Folk School's BBQ.
Learn more about the traditional ways of making craft. Potters will be throwing mugs and bowls. Woodcarvers will be carving miniature animals and ornaments, while woodturners will be spewing wood shavings as they transform chunks of wood into beautiful bowls. Spinners and weavers will show you the traditional way of making yarn and textiles.

20th Annual High Country Quilt Show in Maggie Valley

September 30 - Oct 2   MAGGIE VALLEY NC hosts the  20th Annual High Country Quilt Show  Enjoy luncheon and quilt show featuring beautiful handcrafted new & antique quilts. This year's highlight, “Spirit of The Mountains”, is a patriotic log cabin quilt. The event is open to the public and will be held at Maggie Valley Town Hall  from 10AM - 4PM. for more information contact: 828-926-4427/926-6003

Last Week to Enter Nature Photo Contest

Attention Nature Photographers: one week left (until October 4) to  enter the Nature Conservancy's 5th Annual Digital Photo Competition.  Most of us can't help photographing the beauty and wonder of mountains at every opportunity. Here's a chance to share those photos with other nature lovers across the country (and the world). The Conservancy is  looking for beautiful nature photography representing the diversity of life on Earth. Your original digital images of our lands, waters, plants, animals and people in nature are all eligible for the competition. Read the full competition rules online and upload your photo quickly and easily to our Flickr™ photo-sharing group.

Samples of photographs and additional tips and information are available online. Even if you don't win the Grand Prize, your photo could be featured on the nature.org homepage as each day a new e-member image is showcased.

Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening at Mud Leaf Pottery in Bryson City

Sept 25 at 10 AM owners Ron and Byrdell Sparks are joined by the Swain County Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration of the grand opening of Mud Leaf Pottery. Come out for a full day of fun, food and free gifts for the first 50 attendees as you stroll through the workshop and gallery. “I encourage the public and certainly our Chamber family of members to come out and support the addition of a great new business to the community”, stated Karen Wilmot, executive director of the Swain County Chamber of Commerce.

Directions from Bryson City: Hwy. 19S -74W, right on to 28 N. Go 5 miles, turn right on Lower Panther Creek Road and follow signs. From Robbinsville Hwy.143 to 28 S. turn right and follow signs to Lower Panther Creek Road. For more information call: 828-479-4844

NC Aboretum Hosts Heritage Crafts Weekend

Sept 25 and 26 - It's Heritage Crafts Weekend at The North Carolina Arboretum. Celebrate Southern Appalachian traditions with craft demonstrations and juried crafts vendors, plant sales and musical performances from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days in the Heritage Garden, Baker Exhibit Center and Education Center. Learn how the NC botanical diversity has contributed to its amazing craft heritage.

Stecoah Textile Studio Supports Handwork and Entrepreneurship

The Textile Studio at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center offers Support for Local Handwork and Entrepreneurship. Handwork and textile skills have long been a staple in Appalachian culture, but the future of these skills is waning and we are in danger of losing these treasured crafts forever. The Steocoah Textile Studio offers a means of continuing our textile heritage skills along with the opportunity for participants to learn new business skills necessary for success in selling their handwork. The primary objective is to offer participants the opportunity to profitably sell their textiles and improve entrepre-neurial skills by providing business development guidance and educational opportunities.

The Center also offers classes in cooking, basket weaving, knitting and a varitey of handwork and heritage cratfs. For a complete schedule visit  Stecoah Valley Center Classes. The Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center, is located at 121 Schoolhouse Road, Robbinsville North Carolina.

Arts Council of Henderson County holds Open Studio Tour

Sept 25 - 26   Open Studio Tour   The tour offers the public the opportunity to see first hand the creative process and visit artists in their own working environments. Sponsored the The Arts Council of Henderson County the tou includes dozens of studios and galleries in the Hendersonville NC area. Get a map and complete list on the Tour site.

6th Annual Bakersfield Creek Walk Art Festival

Sept 25-26 Bakersville Creekside Walk Arts Festival  - This year’s show offers nearly 50 exhibitors of glass, jewelry, pottery, paintings, furniture, fiber, woodcraft and sculpture. The Bakersville Creek Walk Arts Festival has become known for showcasing some of the finest arts and crafts to be found in the Southeast. Open to the public and free of charge, the festival takes place along the banks of Cane Creek, which winds through the center of beautiful and historic Bakersville. It has become a local favorite with artists and visitors alike; many returning year after year.

Last Minute Opportunity for Sketch and Watercolor Workshop

Sept 27, 9:30 - 4:30 at Random Arts 2 spaces left for the Sketch and Watercolor Workshop.  Be inspired to record your life, a special trip, or your daily adventures in a loose, quick journal style format. Spend the day with artist Jane LaFazio. Jane, known for her friendly, encouraging teaching style, will demonstrate drawing and watercolors using a straight-forward, intuitive approach. You'll choose simple objects, to draw and paint, and then journal your thoughts impressions on 5x7" pages. Everyone has their own drawing style, just like handwriting, and Jane will help you to see and then record what you see on paper. Cost: $105 includes instruction & lunch. Some supplies required.

 EMAIL ASAP TO BE THE LUCKY ONES TO GET IN~

Live Craft Demonstration at the Parkway Craft Center

Sept 18 - 22   Live Craft Demonstration this week featuring Judi Harwood, potter, with drum making. This presentation includes throwing the drum shell on the wheel in two large pieces, attaching those pieces, and showing already fired drum shells and component of drum heads, with explanation of how the heads are made and tightened. Parkway Craft Center is located at the Moses Cone Manor, Milepost 294 Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock NC.

Asheville Art Museum Art Break

Sept 17,  12 - 1PM  Art Break, Hands in Harmony: Traditional Crafts and Music in Appalachia, Photographs by Tim Barnwell with Artist Tim Barnwell    Join us for a guided tour of Hands in Harmony: Traditional Crafts and Music in Appalachia, Photographs by Tim Barnwell, led by Tim Barnwell himself. Hands in Harmony is a photographic exploration of the makers of Appalachian folk music and traditional handcrafts by Barnwell. The exhibition includes approximately 30 black-and-white photographic portraits of well-known figures in the Appalachian music and crafts communities and images of some who are not as well known.

Remember September in the NC Mountains: Weaverville Autumn Arts and Crafts Festival

Sept 18 the 3rd Annual Art in Autumn Juried Arts & Crafts Festival  takes place rain or shine, for one full day Main Street in Weaverville NC. The quaint town will be transformed into a marketplace for over a hundred juried artists and craftspeople. Old-time and bluegrass music, festival food vendors and area restaurants will all be a part of the festival fun.

Heritage Weekend at The Folk Art Center

September 18 - 19 at The Folk Art Center holds its 30th Annual Heritage Weekend  The free festival is sponsored by the Southern Highland Craft Guild and features traditional music and dancing, storytelling and heritage craft demonstrations. Learn from area experts about beekeeping, canning and preserving, coopering, heritage toy making, blacksmithing, natural dyeing, spinning, quilting, whittling, basket weaving and folk pottery.

A highlight of the weekend is the 30th Annual World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition on Saturday, 2:00-3:00pm. Joe “Colonel Buncombe” Bly will emcee the Whimmy Diddle Competition. What is a Whimmy Diddle? A whimmy diddle is an Appalachian mountain toy made from two sticks of wood. Notches are carved into one stick and a propeller is attached to the end. The other stick is rubbed against the notches, causing the propeller to spin either gee (to the right) or haw (to the left).

The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost  382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville NC.

"From the Hands of Our Elders" Tonight at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva

Sept 10 at 7:00 PM at City Lights Bookstore Author M. Anna Fariello discusses the Art and Craft of Cherokee Basketry, including a reading and booksigning for "From the Hands of Our Elders".

A tradition that dates back almost ten thousand years, basketry is an integral aspect of Cherokee culture. In the mountains of Western North Carolina, stunning baskets are still made from rivercane, white oak and honeysuckle and dyed with roots and bark. Cherokee Basketry describes the craft's forms, functions and methods and records the tradition's celebrated makers. This complex art -- passed down from mothers to daughters -- is a thread that bonds modern Native Americans to ancestors and traditional ways of life.

Fariello reveals that baskets hold much more than food and clothing. Woven with the stories of those who produce and use them, these masterpieces remain a powerful testament to creativity and imagination.

Fariello, who associate professor at Western Carolina University, is also director of the Craft Revival Project, a website and digital archive at WCU's Hunter library dedicated to documenting the effort to revive handcrafts in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. To view the website and database, visit http://craftrevival.wcu.edu.

Hands in Harmony Concert and Exhibition

Sept 14, 7:00 PM at the Diana Wortham Theatre, Pack Square, Asheville north Carolina - Hands in Harmony: The Concert.  Hear  many renowned musicians, view Tim Barnwell's photos and support your Asheville Art Museum! Celebrate Tim Barnwell's photographs with headlining performances by David Holt, Wayne Henderson, Maggie Lauterer, Bobby McMillon, Laura Boosinger, Don Pedi and Bruce Greene and others. A fun event for the entire family, enjoy the music along with projections of Barnwell's captivating images. The artists will be available after the concert for a book and CD signing.

Tickets are currently available through the box office at Diana Wortham Theatre and on their Web site, www.dwtheatre.com. The Asheville Art Museum Member discount is also available for online ticket purchase. $8 Museum Members + Students; $10 General Admission Tickets on sale now!

The concert will be held in conjunction with the exhibition Hands in Harmony: Traditional Crafts and Music in Appalachia, Photographs by Tim Barnwell on view at The Asheville Art Museum through Sunday, October 10, 2010.

Stecoah Valley Center Harvest Festival Seeking Art / Craft Vendors

The Harvest Festival at Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in the Stecoah Community of Graham County, NC will be held this year October 15-19, with the following schedule of activities: Friday, October 15 – 6:00 pm campfire cookout; Saturday, October 16 – 11:00-5:00 full day of activities with art and food vendors, music and more; Sunday, October 17 – 2:30 Gospel singing in the auditorium; Monday, October 18 – 7:00 Birds of Prey Program at Fontana Village presented by Balsam Mountain Preserve.

The Festival  invites craft and food vendors for participation on Saturday, October 16. Arts/Crafts Vendor Fee- $25 per 10 X 10’ space. You supply your own tables, chairs, display and tent or cover if desired. Vendors are encouraged to demonstrate their craft. All items must be hand crafted and in good taste. Food Vendor Fee- $50. Electricity is available on a limited first request basis and with an additional $5 fee; you supply your own power cords.

Please contact Kate Parkerson if you have any questions or to request a vendor application. kate@stecoahvalleycenter.com or 828-479-3364. Completed applications and fees must be received by October 1, 2010.

Blowing Rock Hosts "Believe in Yourself Art Retreat and Sale"

Sept 8 - 10 Believe in Yourself Art Retreat & Sale, now in its 5th year, is an inspiring creativity retreat just for you! The event is an empowering, invigorating adventure, designed by the Creative Spirits team of Susan and Kristi. Participants include Random Arts. Refresh your soul, renew your creative energy, be inspired to believe in your own vision and talents as you join like minded folks in the beautiful setting of the Meadowbrook Inn Blowing Rock, North Carolina. For more information contact Kristin@kristinsteiner.com.

Jose' Parra Featured at Gallery Minerva

Long awaited, José Parra's newest collection of figurative, surrealistic works have arrived! An international award winner for his magical interpretations of life, his paintings are in both private and museum collections worldwide. José's style is deeply influenced by Baroque period visions of the dramatic and theatrical, tied to a combination of honesty and spontaneity. Plan for a special trip to Gallery Minerva at 8 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville NC and view the magical world that José Parra brings to the canvas.

Quilter's Quarters Labor Day Sale in Waynesville

The Labor Day Sale at Quilters Quarters on Monday from 9 AM - 3 PM includes:
Many bolts of fabric $5.95 and less (minimum 1 yd cuts)
Fat Quarters - 4 for $4.95
Many kits on sale reduced up to 45% off
Halloween fabric - 20% off entire month of September

Save 25% You design your own coupon...good for 1 day of shopping (excludes previously marked down items)
Offer Expires:   September 25th, 2010

Classes in September:
Wed-Sept 8th - Fun & Easy Charm Quilt - Make in one afternoon - 12:30-5:00

Thurs - Sept 9th - Stack'n'Whack Ribbon Weave - Good for beginners to learn how to do a stack'n'whack
9:30-4:30...bring your lunch

Mon - Sept 13th - Layer Cake Magic - Learn a fast way to make a crazy quilt using a layer cake. 10:00-4:30

Quilters Quarters is located at 2020 Dellwood Road, WaynesvilleNorth Carolina

Andrews Art Museum Opening for September Show

Sept 11 from 5 PM - 7 PM  The Andrews Art Museum will hold an opening reception for the September Exhibit. The Andrews Art Museum is located on the mezzanine floor of the Cultural Arts Center at Chestnut & 3rd Street, Andrews North Carolina.

Art After Dark tonight in Waynesville

Sept 3   Art After Dark  transforms Downtown Waynesville NC into an exquisite visual, culinary and performing arts center, the first Friday evening of each month from May until December. All participating galleries are open until 9 p.m. Refreshments are offered to all patrons and many of the studios treat visitors to live music played by our local bands and musicians.

Watercolor Demonstration tonight in Bryson City

Swain County Center for the Arts hosts a demonstration of watercolor techniques by Waynesville artist Jo Ridge Kelley tonight at 6:15 PM. Anyone who is interested is invited to attend free of charge. Swain County Center for the Arts is located at Swain County High School, 1415 Fontana Road, Bryson City NC.

The 8th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC)

AMPC will open for registration and submissions on Friday, September 17 at 5PM. Amateur and professional photographers 13 years of age and older are encouraged to submit at www.appmtnphotocomp.org. A partnership between ASU Outdoor Programs, Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, the AMPC celebrates the unique people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians and attracts entries from across the US.

This year's theme will be 'Blue Ridge Parkway Share the Journey® Category theme: The Parkway Tree Project.' The Parkway Tree Project seeks to bring greater public awareness to the rich natural resources of the region and to document significant trees that contribute to the character, environment, and/or aesthetic of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Capture images of trees along the Blue Ridge Parkway that stand out as the most beautiful, the oldest or largest, trees that tell a story or have a place in history, and those that are unique for their shape, species, or character.

Those submitting images will be asked to identify the tree species, document the tree's location (e.g. GPS coordinates, Parkway Milepost, or other identifying indicators of the tree's location), and describe in a short story of a paragraph or more why the photographed tree is of particular significance.

Entries will be judged on impact, subject matter, center of interest, and storytelling - effectively sharing the journey by celebrating trees along the Parkway. There are seven separate categories for submissions and $4,000 in cash and prizes. A panel of professional photographers will review all entries and narrow them down to forty-six that will hang in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, February 4-June 4, 2011.

Labor Day Weekend Event: Maggie Valley Craft Show

Labor Day Weekend, Sept 4 - 5   Maggie Valley Labor Day Weekend Craft Show.  Crafters from all over the Southeast come together in Maggie Valley for an end of summer two-day craft shoppers delight. The event ends with Fireworks after dark!