It's Easter - GOT BASKET?

Billie Ruth Sudduth is one of Western North Carolina's natural resources. A basket maker of reknown, she has taught at Penland School of Crafts; John C. Campbell Folk school, and Arrowmont as well as conducting numerous workshops throughout the country. 

Billie Ruth's baskets are now in the collections of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Art and Design in New York, Charles A Wustum Museum of Fine Art in Racine, Wisconsin, the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in Charlotte, the Asheville Art Museum in North Carolina, and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Alabama. They are also included in corporate and private collections. Her highest honor came in 1997 when she was named a Living Treasure by the State of North Carolina. This award, presented to one craftsperson every other year, is the state's highest honor in the field of crafts. She was the tenth recipient of this award and the first female to be honored. In 2002, she was awarded the Alumni Achievement Award by her alma mater, Huntingdon College, and in 2005, The President's Medal for Achievement. In 2004-2005, she was awarded an Individual Visual Artist Fellowship by the North Carolina Arts Council. She was invited to be Honor's Day speaker at the University of Alabama (where she received her master's degree). She has been selected to exhibit at the prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show for the past thirteen years.

Learn more about Billie Ruth Sudduth or purchase one of her baskets online HERE.

egg basket

herringbone twill

contemporary cat's head basket

Create Your Own Easter Bonnet for the Annual Parade Today at Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro

March 30  Easter Hat Parade through Downtown Dillsboro NC.  This annual favorite Easter Event is led by a fleet of restored antique cars, followed by the many hat contestants and features the Easter Bunny.  The  Easter parade begins in front of the Dillsboro Town Hall on Front Street.

Get your face painted and make your own special hat and come join this delightful parade. Last-minute entrants very welcome.

Awards are announced after the Parade with ribbons given for the Prettiest, Funniest, Largest, Smallest, Most Unusual, Most Easter-like, Best Smelling, Cutest, Most Outrageous, Best In Show and "Poofiest" hats among other unusual categories. There is even a ribbon awarded to the Best Animal in Show;

Come early at 10:30 AM to Dogwood Crafters on Webster Street where you can fashion your own hat. Easter egg hunts (by age group) also start there beginning at 10:30 AM. Registration for the parade starts at 11 AM.


Get a link for details about the Dillsboro Easter Parade and other Dillsboro events and attractions on the Dillsboro NC Visitor Guide.

Southern Highland Craft Guild Announces the First Annual Auction: Handcrafted & Heartfelt

May 4, 5 PM to 8 PM at the Folk Art Center - The Southern Highland Craft Guild's First Annual Auction, Handcrafted & Heartfelt. The evening will include heavy hors d'oeuvres, live music, and a silent auction followed by a live auction.  Tickets: $75 each / $150 couple.  To purchase call the Folk Art Center (828-298-7928) or contact Shereen Franklin, 423-337-7803,  shereensfibers@gmail.com.

Bid on one of a kind artwork made by members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, with proceeds going to benefit educational programs and the Guild’s Permanent Collection.  Visit the website for updates and previews of auction items. 

Ceramic Sculpture by
Christine Kosiba, Member of the Southern Highlands Crafts Guild

Gallery Minerva Exterior Sculptures

Gallery Minerva, 8 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville NC, offers full scale steel sculptures by our esteemed artist Russell Whiting.

Penland School of Crafts Campus Exhibits Four Installations in Conjunction with NCMA 0 - 60

On view simultaneously with the NCMA's exhibition are four temporary installations on the Penland campus. Dan Bailey, Kyoung Ae Cho, Alison Collins, and Anne Lemanski were commissioned by Penland and the NCMA to create these new works for 0 to 60. Each of these works were partially created at Penland where the artists gathered materials, worked in the studios, and did the final work of installation.

Opening events:

Friday, April 19, 8:00 PM, Northlight Building at Penland

Linda Dougherty, chief curator and curator of contemporary art at the NCMA, will present an overview of the project followed by slide presentations from each of the four installation artists.

Saturday, April 20, 1:30 PM, Pines Portico at Penland
Walking tour of the installations: Penland's director, Jean McLaughlin, will make some introductory remarks at the Pines Portico. and then each of the four artists will speak when the group visits their installation.

Information about the installations:    

Filmmaker, animator, and photographer Dan Bailey has created a two-part work using time-lapse and low-altitude aerial photography. Presented on a large monitor, Looking Up is a time-lapse witness of the slowly changing sky, offered to the viewer in silence. This piece allows us to engage with complex patterns and movements that we cannot process in real time. The vantage point is reversed in

Looking Down, a large printed wall piece that combines photographs made from low-altitude helium balloons with satellite imagery, maps, and the artist's personal history of place. In this collage of viewing angles, time shifts, and seasonal variances, an inconsistent and organic perspective undermines the technology and grounds the viewer in a distinctly human journey through the landscape.

Rust gathered from decaying steel sculptures-a remnant of her past creative endeavors-became the muse for Alison Collins' Temps Perdu. Combining that rust with soy milk to create a dye, Collins used a brush to transcribe sections of Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time) onto 300 yards of muslin. This cloth will be used, she says, "to protect or mummify the interior of the Dye Shed - walls, stairs, rafters, etc. - to preserve that forgotten space or the memory of its past with Proust's reconstruction of his past." Within that space she will install hundreds of muslin leaves, pinned together to create vines. On the leaves she has painted (also with the rust dye) text that refers to people and things she has lost. "The pins," she says, "act as a means of temporary connection-working as our memory does, resulting in a fragmentary collection of memories that seem to create a whole."

Anne Lemanski's Extirpated reflects the artist's interest in evolutionary time, and also presented her with the technical challenge of making a piece that can withstand the elements. The term "extirpated" refers to a species that once inhabited a region, but has since disappeared, with no hope of return. Lemanski's piece will create a series of clotheslines suspended between steel supports based on the form of Kentucky long rifles. Hanging from the lines will be silhouette images of species that have been extirpated from Mitchell County, where Penland is located: the American bison, the gray wolf, the North American porcupine, the snowshoe hare, the fisher, the Carolina parakeet, and the passenger pigeon. Placing images of these animals back into this environment creates a graphic reminder of how a landscape changes over time and points to the dichotomy of human admiration and exploitation of the animal world.

Kyoung Ae Cho begins each piece as a hunter-gatherer in search of organic matter or manufactured discards-a slow, deliberate process that sets the tone for her work. Shining Ground, Cho's installation at Penland, involves what she calls environmental processing and time-marking. She discovered mica-a flat, shiny mineral-while teaching at Penland in 2004. She gathered a bag of mica particles from a riverbed and kept it as a memory of "the gem" that was her Penland experience. Shining Ground incorporates that same collected material into vertical panels made of silk organza and pins, which will be prominently installed at the Northlight building. The piece is her attempt to recapture, many years later, the moment of quiet surprise when she first saw the ground covered with the sheen of mica sand.

Upcoming HandMade in America Craft Labs

Hendersonville
04 Apr 2013, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: Henderson County Arts Council, 401 N. Main St. #3, Hendersonville, NC
Topic: Arranging & Selling from Your Booth

Do you wonder if your booth has the optimum setup for engaging your visitor?  Do you know what questions to ask your booth visitor?  Come learn the answer to these and other questions!  The basics of setups and sales techniques will be discussed.

 

Morganton

22 Apr 2013, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Location: Burke County Arts Council, 115 East Meeting St., Morganton,NC

Topic: How To Get Your Work Seen

Come find out what goes in a portfolio, how to think outside the box about exhibitions, and get some insider tips of how to get your work seen.  Learn how to approach galleries, create a portfolio, and what the difference is between an artist’s bio and statement.

 

Mt. Airy

04 May 2013, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location: Surry County Arts Council, 218 Rockford St., Mt. Airy, NC

Topic: The Artist Portfolio/Digital and Print
Come find out what should be in every artist’s portfolio, what your portfolio is judged on, and how to approach galleries.  You will also learn how to think outside the box about exhibitions, and get some insider tips of how to get your work seen.  Learn about how to approach galleries, create a portfolio, and what the difference is between an artist’s bio and statement.

 

Mt. Airy

04 May 2013, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Location: Surry County Arts Council, 218 Rockford St., Mt. Airy, NC

Topic: Finding Your Target Market

The majority of businesses spend 6-8 months targeting the wrong market.  By the time they realize it, they have wasted a good deal of time and money.  We will do several activities in this class which will help you find your target market and how to reach them.  Together we will work out who buys your work, as well as where and why they buy it.

 

West Jefferson

06 May 2013, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Location: Ashe County Arts Council, 303 School Ave., West Jefferson, NC

Topic: The Artist Portfolio/Digital and Print
Come find out what should be in every artist’s portfolio, what your portfolio is judged on, and how to approach galleries.  You will also learn how to think outside the box about exhibitions, and get some insider tips of how to get your work seen.  Learn about how to approach galleries, create a portfolio, and what the difference is between an artist’s bio and statement.

 

West Jefferson

06 May 2013, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location: Ashe County Arts Council, 303 School Ave., West Jefferson, NC

Topic: Social Media For Beginners

Do you know what Facebook is or how to tag a photo in Pinterest? If you are just starting out in Social Media, come find out the basic tricks to make it work for your creative business.  Please bring a laptop if you have one.

 

Morganton

06 May 2013, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Location: Burke County Arts Council, 115 East Meeting St., Morganton, NC

Topic: Learning to Love Your Digital Camera

Come find out how to use your digital camera to take great photos of your work.

 

Asheville

14 May 2013, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location: HandMade in America, 125 S. Lexington Ave., Suite 101, Asheville, NC

Topic: Artists' Critique

Artists often don't get together to formally critique each other's work, but it can be one of the best learning experiences.  Hearing what someone else sees when they look at your work gives you new insight to what you make.  Come participate in a formal critique of your work. Everyone who wishes to participate must bring one piece for critique.

 

Lenoir

16 May 2013, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Location: Caldwell County Arts Council, 601 College Ave., SW. Lenoir, NC

Topic: How to Get Your Work Seen

Come find out what goes in a portfolio, how to think outside the box about exhibitions, and get some insider tips of how to get your work seen.  Learn how to approach galleries, create a portfolio, and what the difference is between an artist’s bio and statement.
 

Reservations are required. To register contact Yoko at 828.252.0121 x 303 or ymorris@handmadeinamerica.org

 

Cost

Members (Artist level or above) - Free

Members (Basic level) - $10

Non-members - $20

HandMade in America is located at 125 Lexington Ave., Suite 101 in Asheville, NC

the North Carolina Museum of Art and Penland School of Crafts present 0 to 60

Beginning this month, the North Carolina Museum of Art and Penland School of Crafts present 0 to 60: The Experience of Time through Contemporary Art, an exhibition featuring thirty-two international artists with over sixty works of art blurring the boundaries between art, craft, and design. The partnership includes a fully illustrated catalog that documents the projects at both the NCMA and Penland. 

Seventeen new works have been created for 0 to 60 and five North Carolina artists and eleven artists affiliated with Penland are featured in the exhibition. This is the first collaboration between these two highly-recognized North Carolina art institutions.

Tom Shields, Forest for the Chairs

"Focusing on the concept of time and its influence on art, the exhibition looks at how time is used as form, content, and material, and how art is used to represent, evoke, manipulate, or transform time," said NCMA Chief Curator and Curator of Contemporary Art Linda Dougherty. "It's especially notable to have Penland involved in the exhibition, since 'time' is one of the critical resources their facilities provide for the artists who come to the school for a creative retreat where they can work literally around the clock."

The artists represented in the exhibition are Caetano de Almeida, Dan Bailey, Walead Beshty, Jana Brevick, Jim Campbell, Paul Chan, David Chatt, Kyoung Ae Cho, Sonya Clark, Alison Collins, Tara Donovan, Dan Estabrook, John Gerrard, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Hoss Haley, Tim Hawkinson, Lisa Hoke, Tehching Hsieh, Richard Hughes, Anne Lemanski, Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao, Beth Lipman, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Vera Lutter, Peter Matthews, David Shapiro, Tom Shields, Jennifer Steinkamp, Do Ho Suh, Stacy Lynn Waddell, Michael Wesely, and Bill Viola.

The exhibit opens on March 24 and continues through August 11, 2013.

Annual Easter Egg Hunt at John C Campbell Folk School

March 30 -  Gather your youngsters for the Annual John C Campbell Folk School Easter Egg Hunt.  Bring your little ones to the Open House at 12:45 PM, as the free Easter Egg Hunt begins promptly at 1 PM. Both Adults and children will enjoy live music during the event.
When you arrive, bring your little egg hunters to one of three areas, divided by age: 0-4 years, 5-7 years, and 8 years and older. Please park in the gravel lot across from the Keith House. This provides the egg hunters with plenty of space along with a safety zone.

Find more NC art and craft events on the NC Crafts Visitor Guide 

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Scandinavian Heritage Week at The Folk School

March 24 - 30   Scandinavian Week at John C Campbell Folk School   Immerse yourself in the many delightful aspects of Scandinavian life during the popular Scandinavian Heritage Week. Enjoy special foods, music, dance, and crafts from this fascinating part of the world.

Learn easy Danish dances during the March 23 Tuesday night dance. The Keith House Community Room will overflow with Danish merriment and cheer from 7-8 PM. The dance event is FREE.

FREE Seminar for Business Basics for the Artists of the Watershed

April 11 - Phil Mechanic Studios and Flood Gallery and Fine Arts Center,  in association with RiverLink, Self-Help Credit Union (SHCU) and the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC), are pleased to present:

"Shedding Light on the Business of Art:  An Intensive One-Day Workshop on Business Basics for the Artists of the Watershed."

On Thursday April 11:

from 9:00 AM until 4:30 PM, Phil Mechanic Studios will open their doors for this one-day-only, free seminar (with lunch included) that will engage you in topics such as:

• Improving Your Credit Score
• Licensing, Registration with the State, and Legal Considerations
• Obtaining Funding
• Developing a Business Plan
• Growth Strategies
• Marketing, Pricing, Preparing a Professional Portfolio, and the Appropriate Use of Social Media

Each topic will be discussed by a group of experts in the field and then opened up for questions from the audience.  In addition to members of the four sponsor organizations, panelists will include, among others, representatives from AB Tech's Small Business Center, Asheville Grown, the City of Asheville, Eagle Market Street Development, Handmade in America, Mountain BizWorks, the Natural Capital Investment Fund (NCIF), OnTrack Financial Education and Counseling, SCORE, the Small Business Administration (SBA),  The Support Center, Venture Asheville and from the consulting firm, Who Knows Art.

Two special sessions will round out the day:  one that will present two artists in front of a select group of experts and give them the opportunity to present issues/problems/needs facing their business and receive feedback and a second that will wrap up the day with "success stories" that will inspire and empower you.

Participating artists will include Sean "Jinx" Pace, Melissa Terrezza, Jeremy Russell, and others.

This one-day event is FREE and open to all artists in the Watershed, but registration is required in order to assure seating and lunch.  Register today by calling 828.252.8474 ext. 10.  

Located in Asheville's River Arts District, RiverLink is a regional organization spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River watershed as a destination where everyone can work, live and play.   

John C Campbell Folk School Empty Bowls Annual Event

March 23     Empty Bowls at John C Campbell Folk School  The event takes place from 5-7 PM and tickets are $25.00 (includes a handmade bowl by a local potter, soup, bread, salad and dessert). Support food banks while sharing a hearty meal with friends and enjoying a fun evening at the Folk School. Extra bowls will be for sale for $20.00 after the event.

Featured Artist: Brad Stroman, Contemporary Realist

Brad Stroman, Contemporary Realist Mixed Media
Artist Statement:  My paintings reflect the intimate and fragile relationship between man and nature. By incorporating the Japanese Zen Buddhist aesthetic of wabi-sabi I can create a stage where both nature and man-made surfaces and objects play out their balancing act. The aesthetic of wabi-sabi encourages a contemplative look at our lives through a meditative and disciplined search for humility and an understanding of our place in the physical world. It professes a belief that all things are incomplete, impermanent, and imperfect. One will discover the interaction of those tenets throughout the images in my compositions.

See Brad Stroman's work in the Studio and Gallery located in the River Arts District at Pink Dog Creative Studios,  348 Depot Street Asheville,  Hours: Wednesday through Friday 10am to 4pm, or by appointment call: 717-799-3025

Brasstown Valley Art Gallery Opening and Reception

March 22 - Head for the Brasstown Valley Resort, for "Colors of Spring", a wonderful evening of music and art. Artists represented at this Opening are: Bill Bates, Keith Burgess, Deb Collins, Carol Duckworth, Jim Frank, Amanda Fullerton, Cynthia Geiger, Ebony Glenn, Mark Henry, Richard Jersey, John Mac Kah, Ruthanne Kah, Deborah Larsen, Carol Lumpkin, Lori McCabe, Eleanore McDade, Estelle Schwarz, Helen Surgeon, Maya Smith, Lala Streett, Bill Suttles, Todd Suttles, Barbara Terrell and Jackie West.

Refreshments, Wine and Hor d'oeuvres will be served. The event is open to the public and free of charge.The exhibit will continue through July 8, 2013.

PlottFest Seeks Artisans and Craft Demonstrators

PlottFest celebrates it's second annual festival with the best in mountain music, American Plott Association and National Plott Association sanctioned Bench Dog Shows, and the Smoky Mountain Trout Festival. All profits from the Festival will Benefit Head Start of Haywood and Jackson Counties.

The Festival is currently seeking artists, crafters and craft demonstrators to participate in the event. PlottFest will be held at the Maggie Valley Fairgrounds in the heart of Maggie Valley on June 22-23, 2013.

One of the highlights of the event is a mountain music festival celebrating WNC's heritage. Some of the popular musicians performing include Balsam Range, the Darren Nicholson Band, Eddie Rose & Highway 40 and Mark & Amy Bumgarne.

For details and an application visit www.PlottFest.org

HandMade in America Upcoming Craft Labs

Asheville

16 Mar 2013, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: Asheville Area Arts Council - 346 Depot St., Asheville, NC
Topic: Negotiations and Legal Issues

Beyond exclusivity and commission percentage, there are many issues to consider in a consignment agreement. Many of the same items apply for a simple exhibition agreement. Also, accepting commissions can be a nightmare without a proper contract. Tips regarding fifteen topics are included, plus problems to avoid, and how to diplomatically handle negotiations.


Lenoir
21 Mar 2013, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Location: Caldwell County Arts Council - 601 College Ave SW, Lenoir, NC
Topic: Artist's Critique

Artists often don't get together to formally critique each other's work, but it can be one of the best learning experiences. Hearing what someone else sees when they look at your work gives you new insight to what you make. Come participate in a formal critique of your work. Everyone who wishes to participate must bring one piece for critique.


Hendersonville
04 Apr 2013, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: Henderson County Arts Council - 401 N. Main St. #3, Hendersonville, NC
Topic: Arranging and Selling from Your Booth

Do you wonder if your booth has the optimum setup for engaging your visitor? Do you know what questions to ask your booth visitor? Come learn the answer to these and other questions. The basics of setups and sales techniques will be discussed.


Reservations are required. To register contact Yoko at 828.252.0121 x 303 or ymorris@handmadeinamerica.org

Get a link for HandMade in America and other NC art organizations on the NC crafts and Gallery Guide

National Quilting Day at the Folk Art Center

March 16    National Quilting Day at the Folk Art Center   Celebrate National Quilting Day at the Folk Art Center with Connie Brown and Robin Brooks, who are members of the Asheville Quilt Guild and the Southern Highland Craft Guild, demonstrating their craft from 10 AM to 4 PM in the center’s lobby.  

Trip around the world quilt

Visitors are also invited to bring a quilt – a family heirloom, an antique purchase, or a vintage quilt with a unique design, for questions and analysis by Connie. Helpful information about how to care for quilts and how to learn more about the process will also be provided. 

During the event, Allanstand Craft Shop at the Folk Art Center will feature a variety of traditional and contemporary quilts made by members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

The first National Quilting Day was held in 1991 and local quilting groups across the country have since used the event as a way to raise awareness of the traditional craft.

The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 on The Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville NC

Emerging Artists Exhibit at Black Mountain Center for the Arts

March 10 from 3 PM - 4 PM the Opening Reception for the The Emerging Artists Exhibit at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts. The exhibit features the works of the students who take art classes at the Center under Bob Travers and Cheryl Keefer. Students range in age from 8 to retirees.The exhibit continues through April 5, 2013.

The Black Mountain Center for the Arts offers live theatre, classes and an exhibition gallery. The Center is located in the renovated Old City Hall at 225 West State Street in historic downtown Black Mountai NC. The Center includes Special Events as well as changing Gallery Shows.

John C Campbell Celebrates Scandinavian Week March 24-30

	Celebrate the Folk School's Roots During Scandinavian Week: March 24-30
	Traditional Ale Bowls Crafted by Jim Sannerud Photo by Tib Shaw In the early 1920s, Olive Dame Campbell and Marguerite Butler spent a year visiting folk schools in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. However, the ladies were most intrigued by the Danish folk schools they explored during their travels. Olive believed a Danish-style folk school would blend well with our Appalachian region's culture. Returning home, she helped establish the John C. Campbell Folk School in 1925. We celebrate our roots with our annual Scandinavian Heritage Week classes. Join us from March 24-30, and immerse yourself in many delightful aspects of Scandinavian life. Enjoy special foods, music, dance, and crafts from this fascinating part of the world. Scandinavian Heritage Week Classes: Scandinavian Cooking * Gitte Gentile Nordic Hand Coverings * Nancy Bush Beginning to Intermediate Rosemaling * Peg Piltingsrud Ale Bowl, Shrink Box, and Knifework * Jim Sannerud Norwegian Bentwood Boxes * Chris Schleier Scandinavian Birch Bark Weaving * Phyllis Knutson Visit the Folk School website for a complete listing of Scandinavian Heritage Week Classes.

Opening Reception Tonight at Blowing Rock Art and History Museum

March 7, 5:30 - 7 PM - The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (BRAHM) celebrates two new exhibits opening today:

W.R. Trivett: Imaging the Mountains. Students from Dr. Andrea Burns's public history class have diligently researched and curated this new exhibit focusing on Willie Trivett, a local self-taught  "pictureman" who captured individual and family portraits and events happening in our region in the first half of the twentieth century. The Exhibit opens on March 8, 2013

Watauga High School Art Show.  A juried show up through month of March. Tonight's  reception is also a celebration of the Watauga High School Art Show. Selected works from senior art students are currently up in the Community Meeting Room and will be displayed through the month of March. Watercolorist Wes Waugh judged the show. Winners will be announced and congratulated at the reception.

The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum is located at 159 Chestnut Street (corner of Chestnut and Main) in Blowing Rock NC.

Penland Still has openings for Spring Workshops

There's still time... time... time... to sign up for a spring workshop and fire a wood kiln with Kevin Crowe and Dan Finnegan, build a Fox canoe with Bill Thomas, photograph architecture with Neal Rantoul and friends, weave with Edwina Bringle, or practice calligraphy and decorated letters with Elizabeth Rideout...

Click here for a complete list of open spring classes at Penland School of Crafts.

“Breaking Ground: Innovative Craft" Opening Reception at HandMade in America

March 8 - Opening Reception for “Breaking Ground: Innovative Craft" at HandMade in America, 125 South Lexington Ave., Suite 101,  Asheville NC.  Breaking Ground: Innovative Craft features the work of WNC craft artists who are pushing the boundaries of their medium in unexpected ways. The exhibit features 26 works in clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood or mixed media.  The pieces in this exhibit illustrate a balance of craft processes and unique ideas, combining tradition with innovation.

Juror Kathryn Gremley, Director of the Penland Gallery and Visitors Center, has curated and installed exhibits at the Penland Gallery since 1996. She is an accomplished juror and curator, specifically in regards to craft mediums. With her discerning eye, Breaking Ground: Innovative Craft promises to be just that.

The exhibit continues through May 31, 2013.

Gallery Mugen Grand Opening in Asheville's River Arts District

March 15, 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM hosted by Cloth Fiber Workshop at Cotton Mill Studios, 122 Riverside Drive, Asheville River Arts District: Gallery Mugen Grand Opening With an aesthetic of simplicity and intentionality expressed in ceramics, textiles, and pastries, Akira Satake, Barbara Zaretsky and pastry chef Cynthia Pierce aim to bring Asheville’s art and food cultures together, creating an atmosphere that invites visitors to linger, contemplate, and indulge all of their senses.

Penland School of Crafts Summer Classes

Penland School of Crafts will be offering 107 fabulous classes for summer 2013. Here's a look at one of them:   

Kyoung Ae Cho, Broken Dream, roots, burn marks on recycled paper, 2 x 11 x 11 in.

Kyoung Ae Cho - Conversation with Nature

May 26 - June 7 in the metals studio:

 

Paying close attention to the marks left by time in nature and the environment, this class will explore ideas while expanding visual and conceptual language. Students will be encouraged to use natural resources as well as found objects in creating installations outdoors and objects in the studio. This class is less of a how-to and more of an experience in discovery, questioning, and finding ongoing ways of working. This workshop welcomes students of all levels.

Kyoung Ae is a professor at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has also taught at the Kansas City Art Institute. She is the recipient of a Pollack-Krasner Foundation grant, and has exhibited at the Tweed Museum, the Kemper Museum, the Kohler Art Center, the Gregg Museum of Art & Design, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Kohler Arts Center.

CLICK HERE for complete summer 2013 class information and registration.

Cloth Fiber Workshop Offers Embroidery with a Twist

March 9 - Embroidery with a Twist with Betsy Archer at Cloth Fiber Work shop, 122 Riverside Drive, Studio D in Asheville. Learn how to turn family photos into an embroidered work of art.

First you'll learn how to translate your photographs and plan your embroidery pattern. Then you'll transfer your pattern to linen. Next you'll learn how to use basic (and a few advanced) embroidery stitches to create imagery and use fabric paint to enhance your piece. Finishing, including framing will be discussed. Level of Expertise: all levels. Fee: $85 + materials fee.

NC Featured Gallery: The Folk Art Center on The Blue Ridge Parkway

The Folk Art Center,  Home base for the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the Center is the hub of traditional and contemporary mountain art and crafts, with changing exhibits in both the focus gallery and the main gallery and the permanent exhibit all styles are displayed.

Demonstrations and educational opportunities are scheduled regularly and there are special events throughout the year. The members shop is visited by thousands of tourists and locals annually. The Folk Art Center's  ONLINE SHOP  offers a variety of member's hand crafted products.

Current Exhibits include:
Main Gallery - Sculpture and functional ceramics made by teachers and students of Odyssey for Ceramic Arts will be showcased Jan. 12 - April 21.
Focus Gallery -  Featuring the work of Valerie McGaughey (fiber) and Virginia McKinney (clay) Dec. 15, 2012 - March 19, 2013.

The Folk Art Center is located at milepost 382on The Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville NC.