September 19, 2016

Art on the Island Festival in Marshall NC

September 24, 2016     Art on the Island Festival   The new and improved arts and music (used to be MAD on Main held in May) has moved the month to September and the location to Blannahassett Island and changed the name to Art on the Island Festival. The Festival is Still FREE. 

The new venue allows the festival to put musicians on the new stage and to combine with the Farmer’s Market to offer many more opportunities to enjoy the day. 

Come out to browse through arts booths, sample local food and buy local produce while listening to musicians perform throughout the day. Sponsored by the Madison County Arts Council. 

Find more local information on our Marshall and Mars Hill NC Visitor Guide.



September 14, 2016

Pincu Pottery Fall Events

Pincu Pottery - Offers a wide selection of handmade, functional pottery pieces inspired by nature. Potter Elise Delfield is also a faculty member at Southwestern Community College in the Heritage Arts program and has taught at John C Campbell Folk School . She is an active member of The Southern Highlands Crafts Guild.   Pincu Pottery offers classes to both adults and children during which you can learn how to make your own pots.  Individual instruction and pottery tools are also available.

October 7-8:  Elise will teach a workshop at Sawtooth School for Visual Art in Winston-Salem, NC. There is still room to register. This is a demonstration workshop, not hands-on, so everyone is welcome to come and watch and learn.

October 20-23Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands in Asheville NC at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown – This is where you will find Elise selling her beautiful pottery to all those folks in need of gifts, for themselves or other.

November 4:   CLAY OLYMPICS!  Elise won it once. Can she do it again? Come watch her try!

November 5:  WNC Pottery Festival is THE BEST place to buy pottery. Come to Dillsboro NC and enjoy the beautiful scenery and amazing talent.

November 12: Southwestern Community College’s Ceramics Club will host the Heritage Arts Festival and Elise will be one of 2 Demonstrating artists.  Come support local crafts and the ceramic students of Southwestern (some of her students will be exhibiting)

November 25-26:  Stecoah Valley Artisan Drive About is an event featuring numerous artists who open their studios and offer light refreshments to those willing to drive the beautiful roads in Swain and Graham Counties and stop in to visit each participating studio.


MAKE YOUR OWN POTTERY (Special Event Notice!) 


Student made mugs

December 9 from 4-6 PM,  December 10 from 10 – Noon, 2016: Make a Mug / Beer Stein.   Call to Register! 828.488.0480 or email pincupottery@gmail.com. Make a mug and choose the color. Your mugs will be fired and ready for pick-up by December 19. $35 per mug / beer stein. 



Pincu Pottery is located in Bryson City NC


September 11, 2016

Blowing Rock Art and History Museum Upcoming September Special Events

September 15, 2016 at 6 PM -  Thursday Arts & Culture Talk: Going Outside: Reflections on my life as a painter, a country woman, and a backpacker. Artist Elizabeth Bradford discusses how she uses her adventures in the outdoors to fuel her work in Elizabeth Bradford: Time + Terrain. The talk will be followed by a Q &  A session and light refreshments. The artist will also be available to sign the exhibit catalogue, available for purchase at BRAHM's front desk.


September 22, 2016 at 11 AM - Scholars and Scones, Connecting with Nature: Vitamin N. Elizabeth Denton Baird, the Chief of School and Lifelong Education at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, will present a program about exploring the outdoors. This program will complement BRAHM’s exhibition Time + Terrain, an outstanding collection of paintings by Elizabeth Bradford that focus on wild places outside.


September 29 at 11 AM - Coffee with the Curator. Take a walk through the galleries with guest curator, Carla Hanzal and get a behind-the-scenes look into Elizabeth Bradford: Time + Terrain. Afterwards, guests are invited to converse and pose questions while enjoying complimentary coffee (courtesy of Hatchet Coffee Co.) with the Curator at the Museum. Free for Members, Regular admission for Non-members.

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


September 9, 2016

Cloth Fiber Workshop Schedule

Please note the Cloth Fiber Workshop new location, still in the river Arts District, at Riverview Station, 191 Lyman Street, Studio 104 (south entrance, next to Riverview Station Antiques) in Asheville NC.

September 16 - 17, 2016: Screen Printing: Non-traditional Methods with Heather Allen Hietala. This workshop explores the incredible versatility, fun, and immediacy of using a blank silk-screen as a creative tool. We will use blank screens and play with non-traditional methods of screen printing to create texture and images. Simple and immediate stencils, masks, and resists on the screen and on the cloth will allow us incredible flexibility to explore and develop personal marks, textures and iconography. This class is about experimenting with mark making, pattern and image possibilities using silk-screens in an intuitive painterly way. We will use textile paints that are immediate and non-toxic. Bring your ideas, and creativity and see what can happen. You will go home with a blank screen, squeegee and all the information to continue screen-printing at home. Level of Expertise: all levels. Fee: $195 + materials fee. Currently full - waiting list only.

December 10, 2016: Classic Shibori and Indigo ll with Amy Putansu. The classic Japanese shibori designs can be combined and manipulated to create original motifs and compositions. This one-day workshop will focus on pairing traditional stitching and binding techniques on cotton or linen to be dyed in organic indigo. Innovation and experimentation are encouraged in this workshop, and results will be apparent by the end of the day when fabric is dyed. Part II of Classic Shibori is open to all students new and returning, but will build upon techniques explored in Part I (offered in June 2016). Level of Expertise: all levels. Fee: $95 + materials. Register NOW


Cloth Fiber Workshop is a textile arts learning center that offers a variety of workshops for students of all experience levels. Cloth is located in Asheville, North Carolina's River Arts District in Riverview Station, 191 Lyman Street, Studio 104.  



September 8, 2016

Random Arts - the Creative Place to Be

Top 10 reasons to visit Random Arts
  • 10. They carry lots of things that no one else has
  • 9. Your curiosity has gotten the best of you
  • 8. Creatives seem to congregate there
  • 7. They sell lots of random but excellent products that you didn't know existed
  • 6. The employees are "absurdly" helpful
  • 5. Your wardrobe needs a pick me up
  • 4. Maybe you will get hooked on Zen Tangle
  • 3. You will be awestruck at what's inside.
  • 2. You are a responsible citizen and you are helping the local economy grow.
  • 1. You'll strengthen your community - after all you support the fire department, the park, the depot
  • the school and church. Why not shop local and support local business?




September 10, 2016 from 1-4PM - FAST, EASY & FUN Watercolor with Miriam Hughes. Even if you have never painted before, you will leave feeling successful, inspired and ready to explore more about painting. Your work can become a gift or sale item ready by the holidays. You will be guided on how to get your work made into greeting cards with cost effective printing. REGISTER NOW _ SPACE LIMITED.  828-749-1165   randomarts22@gmail.com



September 24, 2016 - Luscious Fibers, Colorful Fabrics, Creative Play with artist Susan Edmonso.  "Wood Violet" Hand Stitched Collage - Tip Toe through the soft green grass to find a sweet little wood violet with Susan Edmonson. She will share with you, her many embroidery stitches, embellishing ideas and simple ways to bring these delightful wood violets to life. By adding bits of lace, trims & Susan's colorful collections of embroidery floss, dyed scrim, silk and more your very special hand sewn project will "bloom" before your eyes. There will be a kit provided with the class from Susan however there will be a list of some additional things to bring along. $80. 10 AM until 4 PM.




Random Arts is located at 481 Louisiana Avenue in Historic Saluda NC 



September 1, 2016

Penland Iron Workshop Students Show Impressive Skills Completing Campus Project

photos and information courtesy Penland Sketchbook

Penland School of Crafts summer’s session 5 iron workshop with Hoss Haley and Warren Holzman brought together a talented bunch of students with big ideas and impressive skill. Together, the class designed, constructed, and installed a new bronze and steel handrail on campus. The project included eight custom supports, hours at the power hammer, 44 feet of forged cap rail, and a whole lot of teamwork. We think the results are just stunning.


Heat, patience, and an eye for detail make all the pieces come together smoothly.

The new railing is a big improvement over the standard blue railing it replaced.

Penland School of Crafts is a national center for craft education located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Penland offers 1, 2, and 8 week workshops in books & paper, clay, drawing, glass, iron, metals, photography, printmaking, textiles, and wood. The school also sponsors artists' residencies, outreach programs, and an exceptional craft gallery. The gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday and is located on the campus at 3135 Conley Ridge Road in Penland NC, just outside Spruce Pine NC.