Blowing Rock Art & History Museum Art and Antiques

July 28 - 31   BRAHM Art & Antiques Weekend Event   View hundreds of beautiful antiques and art pieces at this annual exhibition and sale presented by the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum. 
 
Gallery Talks   ($5 each) - Enjoy coffee and croissants at the gallery talks on Friday and Saturday. The speakers will begin their programs at 9 AM:

Friday: Graham Holiday, a fifth-generation antique furniture dealer who has been in the business for 50 years,  will discuss how English furniture complements – and has heavily influenced – the American furniture industry and how to care for antique furniture so that it retains its value.

Saturday:  Prominent Blowing Rock antiques dealer and cut glass expert Bill Brooks will be back by popular demand to educate attendees on the beauty and variety of exquisite glass.

Work of the Week at the Asheville Art Museum

Best known for her cityscapes and portraits, du Bois exhibited her work in respected galleries across the country, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Corcoran Gallery, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the National Academy of Design in New York. Presently the artist's oil painting, New Orleans Street, can be seen in the Museum's exhibition of works from the Permanent Collection titled Looking Back: Celebrating 60 Years of Collecting at the Asheville Art Museum.   Continue reading here...

Yvonne Pene du Bois (1913 - 1997)
New Orleans Street ca. 1946, Oil Painting, 14.63 x 23 inches.
Gift of Elizabeth Roebling - Asheville Art Museum Collection. 2003.22.03.21.

Blowing Rock Art Museum "Third Thursday" features the Mountain Dulcimer

June 16   THIRD THURSDAY at BRAHM -  "The History & Art of the Mountain Dulcimer" with Bill and Jewel Magee at 4PM in the BRAHM office upstairs in the Martin House (1098 Main Street), A reception and refreshments will follow.

Bill Magee inherited his love for the dulcimer, a stringed instrument popular with traditional mountain musicians, from his father Rogers, who opened The Dulcimer Shop in 1971. Bill and his wife Jewel took over the shop in 2002 after retiring from their teaching careers. Today, they educate visitors about the dulcimer's history as well as the art involved in both making the instrument and the music it creates.

Coming up soon at BRAHM:
June 25  "Picture Yourself Here" Benefit Auction at Blowing Rock Frameworks & Gallery. Pre-auction reception at 6 PM.  Wine and heavy hors d'oeurves will be served.  The art to be auctioned is currently on display at the Gallery and can be viewed during regular business hours. There will also be a silent auction with affordable starting bids. The auction is free and open to the public.  The Blowing Rock Frameworks & Gallery is located at 7539 Valley Boulevard in Blowing Rock, NC.

Asheville Art Museum ARTmob presents Pecha Kucha Night

June 9 at 7 PM head for the Pack Place Promenade Lobby and Pecha Kucha Night with the ARTmob at the Asheville Art Museum. Following the success of the Museum's first Pecha Kucha Night held in January, the ARTmob returns with the second installment of Pecha Kucha, meaning "chit chat" in Japanese, during which presenters will once again "exhibit" 20 images for 20 seconds each.

ARTmob participants will watch guest presenters share their creative inspiration and enjoy complimentary food and drinks provided by local businesses.  Admission is $5 for Members / $7 for non-Members.

Fanaticon2 at the Asheville Art Museum

May 20 from 8:02 PM to 11:02 PM F.A.D. hosts FANATICON2, Asheville Art Museum. Dancin' on the Deck. Grab your mask, take the Batmobile in for a tune-up and start practicing your high kicks! Join  F.A.D. and  POW! ZAP! and WHAM! your way through a fabulous party in celebration of FANATICON2. Music, drinks, performance artists and more will turn the top level of the Pack Plaza Parking Deck into an explosion of superhero fun! Costumes not required, but encouraged!

Pack Plaza Parking Deck Adjacent to Pack Place - $25 Admission. TICKETS ON SALE NOW! PURCHASE HERE  For more information and to purchase tickets, please call 828.253.3227. To join the League of Volunteers for F.A.D., contact Hillary Frye at 828.253.3227, ext. 110 or email hfrye@ashevilleart.org.

Asheville Art Mesuem Work of the Week

Betty Parsons (1900-1982)  Untitled, 1978. 

Color lithograph. 29.63 x 21.13 inches.   

Collection of the Asheville Art Museum. Gift of Brian E. Butler. 2007.24.01.61.

Betty Parsons, Untitled 1978

Betty Parsons (1900-1982) was born Betty Bierne Pierson. She grew up in New York City in an upper class family. At age 13 Parsons attended the 1913 Armory Show, the exhibition that introduced America to European avant-garde art. Many people found the work shocking, but Parsons embraced the work because it showed a "new spirit." This event instilled in Parsons a lifelong passion for modern art. In 1917, she even turned down a position on the U.S. Olympic tennis team to pursue her interest in art.

While Parsons never showed her own work at the Betty Parsons Gallery, she remained committed to her artistry. She began painting in the 1930s, later working in the Abstract Expressionist manner. 

 

Learn more about Betty Parsons...

Blowing Rock Art and History Museum Show Features Local Photographer and Vintner

May 20 - 22 The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum and Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery will celebrate the tradition of “May flowers” with “Cork and Canvas", which will feature the photography of Freda Wilkins, who captures the exquisite beauty of flowers in her art. A public reception at the Gallery on Friday, May 20 will include a tasting of wines from Spencer Mountain Vineyards, which Freda and her husband Lucien Wilkins own. The reception will begin at 6 PM. The exhibition will be open to the public during the Gallery's regular business hours: 9 AM - 5 PM, closed on Sunday.

Asheville Art Museum Announces Summer Skies Raffle

The Asheville Art Museum has announced the Summer Skies Raffle to benefit the Museum's vibrant exhibitions and educational programming. The Summer Skies Raffle offers seven exciting for a variety of summer getaway experiences.

Longing for white sands, blue skies and tropical beauty? The Summer Skies Raffle offers not one, but two packages for week-long Caribbean getaways: St. Maarten Skies or St. Thomas Skie.

Insprired by the region's thriving arts scene and want to get hands-on? Craft Horizons includes classes and workshops at John C. Campbell Folk School, Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts, Cloth Fiber Workshop, Asheville Bookwooks and DIY Woodworking Shop.

Building a collection of fine art? Add a stunning work of art by renowned Studio Glass artist Richard Ritter to your collection with Studio Skies.

Dreaming of a long weekend on the coast? Coastal Skies offers two separate three-night stays in Murrell's Inlet, SC and Historic Downtown Savannah, GA. Enjoy a private flight for two to one of these lovely coastal destinations.

Fascinated by the night skies? Explore the wonders of the cosmos, both here in Western North Carolina and with a week vacation in the dark-sky country of Ft. Davis, TX with Starry Skies.

Looking to show off the Ashevill area to visiting friends and family, or simply to enjoy all that the Land of the Sky offers for yourself? Mountain Skies provides outdoor adventures, arts and culture, shopping, dining, spa relaxation and more!

Tickets available: Online at www.ashevilleart.org, by calling the Museum at 828.253.3227 or in person at the Museum Front Desk. $100 per Ticket and only 100 Tickets Available Per Package. The Drawing will be held June 30, 2011

Proceeds from the Summer Skies Raffle will support the Asheville Art Museum's mission to engage, enlighten and inspire individuals and enrich community through dynamic experiences in American Art. The Asheville Art Museum is Western North Carolina's premier visual arts institution and its collections a unique resource in the city and the region. The Museum's programs engage diverse audiences of all ages in active exploration of themselves - their past and future - and their communities, through interpretation of American art since the beginning of the 20th century. Committed to being a vital force in the community and individual development, the Museum's focus is on lifelong learning through the visual arts for all audiences from pre-school children to senior citizens. The Asheville Art Museum is located at 2 South Pack Square in Asheville North Carolina.

Asheville Art Museum Opening Reception

Thomas Hart Benton, Approaching Storm

April 29   head for the Asheville Art Museum and the  Opening Reception, Artists at Work: American Printmakers and the WPA  The exhibit includes Prints created under the Federal Art Project, a unit of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The era represents a very specific moment when art for the people was a true rallying concept that resulted in wonderful woodcuts, wood engravings, linoleum cuts, etchings, lithographs and the then new “silkscreen” process.

Blowing Rock Art and History Museum News

This week is Blowing Rock Art and History Museum's first "THIRD THURSDAY " of 2011. The season kicks off with  "Pottery Traditions in the Mountains" with Janet Bolick Calhoun April 21  at  4  PM in the BRAHM office, currently located upstairs at the Martin House 1098 Main Street in Blowing Rock NC.  A reception and refreshments will follow the opening.

Janet Bolick Calhoun is a sixth-generation potter and owner of Traditions Pottery and granddaughter
of well-known Seagrove potter M.L. Owens.  Janet will discuss the role her family has had in the history
of pottery as both a highly collectible and utilitarian craft.

May 11  BRAHM is taking a group outing to see the Robert Henri exhibit at the MINT MUSEUM-UPTOWN in Charlotte.  The deadline to sign up for the trip is May 4 and total cost is $75 for travel, admission to the exhibit, a special tour by the curator and lunch at the Mint's on-site restaurant, Halcyon. A small, tax-deductible donation to BRAHM is also included. For more information about Third Thursdays or the Charlotte trip,  contact the Museum at 828.295.9099.

Artist of the Month at the Asheville Art Museum Shop

Museum Shop March Artist of the Month is Jason Hoyes

"I started blowing glass in 2006 while living in Cary, North Carolina. It was difficult at first but the challenge kept me interested and within two years I moved to the Western Carolina Mountains to pursue glass as a full time career. Over the past three years in Asheville, I have been able to make good friends and connections in the arts, as well as the lampworking community. I am inspired by my surrounding and am excited about the future projects I have yet to create." -Jason Hoyes

"Contemporary Traditions in Cherokee Art" opens at The Andrews Art Museum

The new exhibit at the Andrews Art Museum is "Contemporary Traditions in Cherokee Art". The exhibit includes the art and crafts of the Cherokee Nation and will continue through April 29.  The Andrews Art Museum is located in the historic Valleytown Cultural Arts Center.

Asheville Art Museum Hosts "Up for Discussion"

April 7, 6 PM - 9PM at The Diana Wortham Theatre. Up For Discussion: An Evening with Karen Karnes and Special Guests    A special evening talk with artist Karen Karnes, author/biographer Mark Shapiro, and artist Paulus Berensohn. The discussion will be moderated by scholar, curator, and former Executive Director of the American Craft Council Andrew Glasgow.

Karnes, a former Black Mountain College faculty member, is the subject of our exhibition A Chosen Path: The Ceramic Art of Karen Karnes; Shapiro is the editor of the monograph of the same title. This discussion is followed by a book signing and reception at the Asheville Art Museum. The Museum's galleries will remain open from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. to ticket holders for this event. $3 Museum Members; $5 Non-Members

Asheville Art Museum Shop Artist of the Month

Museum Shop March Artist of the Month: Sondra Dorn

Sondra Dorn is a full time studio artist living in Asheville, North Carolina. She received her MFA from the

University of Washington in 1996. Following graduate school, Dorn went on to a one year Artist in Residency at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and then a three-year Artist in residence at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, North Carolina. She was also a CORE fellowship student at Penland between the years 1992 through 1994.

"An Inside View" Asheville Art Museum Exhibit

March 18 - July 10 the HOLDEN COMMUNITY GALLERY at The Asheville Art Museum exhibits An Inside View. "The exterior cannot do without the interior..." - Stephen Gardiner, Architect.

An Inside View examines the concept of interior environments as interpreted by a number of artists throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. The word "interior" suggests defined spaces whether they be the interior of a building or a city or even a region. Drawn from the collection of the Asheville Art Museum, this exhibition looks at those interiors familiar to us - in homes, work spaces and public buildings and moves outward to consider interiors within cities and regions.  Read more...

Included in the exhibition are works by regional artists such as Bayard Wootten, Anthony Lord, Will Henry Stevens and Mark Peiser as well as artists external to the region such as Irving Kriesbert, Raphael Soyer and Margaret Bourke-White.

This exhibition was organized and curated by the Asheville Art Museum and sponsored by Village Antiques and Interiors, Inc. and received additional support from Ray Griffin and Thom Robinson. The Asheville Art Museum is located at 2 South Pack Square in Asheville NC.

Asheville Art Museum Shop Artist of the Month

Museum Shop March Artist of the Month: Sondra Dorn

Sondra Dorn is a full time studio artist living in Asheville, North Carolina. She received her MFA from the University of Washington in 1996. Following graduate school, Dorn went on to a one year Artist in Residency at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and then a three-year Artist in residence at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, North Carolina. She was also a CORE fellowship student at Penland between the years 1992 through 1994.

Asheville Art Museum Art Break

March 18,  12:00 - 1:00 PM at The Asheville Art Museum,  2 South Pack Square in Asheville  NC.  Looking Back: Celebrating 60 Years of Collecting at the Asheville Art Museum is an exhibition which examines various ways to look at art and different relationships between art, artist and observer. We are pleased to have this art break led by two artists in the exhibition - Steven Seinberg and Kenn Kotara. Both artists live in Asheville and exhibit their work throughout the US. Each will talk about their work in the exhibition as well as the work surrounding their own - so this discussion will be quite personal and interesting!

Asheville Art Museum: The Curator's Bazaar

March 12 - 13,  Saturday from 10:00 - 5:00 PM and Sunday from 1:00 - 5:00 PM in the Pack Place Community Gallery at The Asheville Art Museum. The Museum will host The Curator's Bazaar featuring books, frames, art and a variety of other special items Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13 in the Pack Place Community Gallery. Be sure to save the date for a chance to find wonderful and rare items.

If you have some books, good quality frames or other items that you would like to donate to the Bazaar, call the Museum at 828.253.3227 and ask to speak to Frank or Hillary.

Asheville Art Museum Whistler Tour and Lecture

Feb 19 from 5PM - 7 PM the Asheville Art Museum presents: Lecture + Tour, Whistler as Printmaker: From Realism to Impressionism and Beyond. $20 Members; $25 Non-Members. Now best known for his paintings, James McNeill Whistler was one of the most innovative and influential printmakers working in the second half of the 19th century. Kenneth Myers, Chief Curator and Curator of American Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts, will discuss the three major phases in Whistler's career as a printmaker which culminated in the famous prints he completed in Venice in 1879 and 1880 and the great late etchings he completed in Amsterdam in 1889. After the talk, enjoy a reception and tour of The Director's Cut I: 1995-2010.

Located at The Forum in Pack Place and Asheville Art Museum, 2 South Pack Square, Asheville, North Carolina 28801   828.253.3227

New Members' Party at the Asheville Art Museum

Join Now + Come Party: New Members' Reception Sunday, February 13, 2011, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Free to New Members We love our new Members! This Sunday afternoon reception welcomes our new Members that have joined the Museum over the past year. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow art lovers and learn more about the Museum. The Museum Shop will be offering a special 15% discount during the reception, instead of the usual 10% Member's discount, as a thank you for joining the Museum family!

Join as a Member to enjoy this party and a year of Membership benefits. To join, contact Rebecca Lynch-Maass at 828.253.3227, ext. 114 or rlynch-maass@ashevilleart.org.