Free Admission to the Asheville Art Museum on Wednesday - 3-7-12

The Asheville Art Museum offers FREE admission this Wednesday, March 7 2012 from 3 PM to 5 PM. Current exhibits include The New Materiality: Digital Dialogues at the Boundaries of Contemporary Craft;    Homage2 (squared);     The Elemental Arts: Air | Earth | Fire | Water    The Museum is located at 2 Pack Square in downtown Asheville NC.

Cork and Canvas Program continues at Blowing Rock Art and History Museum

BRAHM's popular monthly "Cork and Canvas" program will continue through the winter, with classes offered on February 16 and March 15. The program, which begins at 6 and ends at 8 p.m., walks participants through the creation of a piece of art while enjoying light refreshments and camaraderie.

Each "Cork and Canvas" has sold out early, so call now to make your reservation. Because space is limited, reservations and prepayment is required. The program costs $35 ($31.50 for BRAHM members), which covers the canvas, brushes, paint and refreshments. Click HERE for more information. To make a reservation, call (828) 295-9099 ext. 3006 or email virginia@blowingrockmuseum.org.

Asheville Art Museum Art Break

November 18 (12:00 Noon - 1:00 p.m.)  Lunchtime Art Break:  The Elemental Arts: Air | Earth | Fire | Water  The Docent-Led Tour  is free for Asheville Art Museum Members or paid Museum admission.

Asheville Art Museum Summer Art Camp

The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to once again host our Summer Art Camp for youngsters in kindergarten -12th grade. Camp officially kicked off last week with Let's Draw and Paint in the morning (pictured above) and Art Adventure in the afternoon. This week, campers have been enjoying People, Places and Animals and Mixed Up & Messy. Camp continues weekly with morning and afternoon sessions through August 1, 2011. Don't miss this fun summer learning opportunity! Visit website for complete camp details or to register (limited space available).

Asheville Art Museum gets visit from performance artist Joe Bigley

June 28 (12:00 Noon) Up for Discussion: Traversing a Foreign Border Domestically   The Asheville Art Museum is one stop on the performance artist Joe Bigley's piece, Traversing a Foreign Border Domestically. The performance is a 3,400 (+) mile bicycle tour through the eastern U.S., beginning and ending in Manhattan and forming the shape of Afghanistan. The event takes place in the Holden Community Gallery (first floor of Museum) and admission is FREE. Learn more about Bigley's unique presentation here.

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.

Asheville Art Museum Summer Art Camp

June 13 - August 1, 2011 The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to once again host Summer Art Camp for youngsters in kindergarten -12th grade! Camp officially kicks off June 13, 2011 with morning and afternoon sessions running weekly through August 1, 2011. Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your child's spot right away for this fun summer learning opportunity! Complete camp and registration details can be found here

Blowing Rock Art and History Museum Update

Upcoming BRAHM Events:

June 5 at 5 PM The annual Members' Appreciation Day will be held in the Fellowship Hall at Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church. All Museum members are invited to the meeting, which will include an update on the final phase of the construction project, an introduction of new board members and a discussion of Grand Opening Events. Members will also have the opportunity to reserve benches and pavers that will be placed throughout the interior and exterior of the building, as well as participate in BRAHM's "Christmas in June" activity, which will highlight items the Museum needs to open in October. The event is always promises to be informational and fun! Refreshments will be provided.

Art enthusiasts will have a grand opportunity to add to their collection with BRAHM's  “Picture Yourself Here!” Benefit Art Exhibition and Live Auction, which will be held at Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery June 13-25. Approximately 30 pieces will go on display on Monday, June 13 and can be viewed during the Gallery's regular business hours (9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday). The auction will be held on Saturday, June 25 with a pre-auction reception beginning at 6 p.m. Guests will receive a special auction program that will include a photograph and details about each piece, as well as a profile on the item’s donor. Wine and hors d’oeurves will be served.

Just a reminder that the "Season of Opportunity" Challenge Grant will draw to a close on June 30. The total goal of Challenge was to raise $800,000 for the Museum’s $6.5 million Capital Campaign and as of May 15, more than $724,000 has been contributed. Donors can still contribute to this endeavor, with all gifts made through the end of the month being matched in full. The total amount of the pledge -- both the original donation and the match -- can be used toward naming opportunities, a number of which remain. Gifts may be made by cash, securities, donor-advised funds or other means and pledges should ideally be completed in two years. For more information about how to contribute to the Challenge Grant please call the BRAHM offices at (828) 295-9099.

A Local Couple will Highlight History of the Dulcimer - BRAHM's second annual Third Thursday Speakers' Series has proven to be as educational and entertaining as its first, June's event promises to continue that trend. On Thursday, June 16, Bill and Jewel Magee, owners of The Dulcimer Shop in the Martin House, will present "The History of the Mountain Dulcimer." The Magee's shop was established by Bill's father, Rogers Magee, in 1971 when the retired music teacher moved to the High Country. Initially, the shop carried both crafts and musical instruments, but eventually it became devoted to the mountain dulcimer, for which Rogers Magee had developed a particular love . Today, Bill and Jewel carry on Rogers' tradition, educating visitors about the instrument and the "mountain music" tradition.

As always, Third Thursdays are held at 4 p.m. in the BRAHM office on the second floor of the Martin House. It is free and open to the public, but space is limited. A reception will follow the presentation; light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact the Museum office at (828) 295-9099.

BRAHM Rockers to Be Made by Carolina Craftsman and sixth generation chairmaker Max Woody. The chairs on the Museum's front porch will be his special creations, which are much-loved and collected throughout the state and region. Woody learned how to make chairs from his father when he was a small child and he has been working in the craft for more than 60 years.