Upcoming Events at The Asheville Art Museum

May's First Friday Events

 

Friday, May 4
Asheville Art Museum On the Slope - 175 Biltmore Avenue  in Asheville NC  Free!

 

Art Break: Turning Traditions | 12pm

Join us for an Art Break to discuss Turning Traditions, an installation that features the amazing work of Edward, Philip, and Matt Moulthrop, who represent three generations of Southern woodturners. Their minimalist works capture and explore the eccentricities of wood.

First Friday Art Walk | 5-8pm  

The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to be a part of the Downtown Asheville Art District’s First Friday Art Walks occurring the first Friday of every month April through December. On these evenings, the Museum offers light refreshments and drinks, and the opportunity to view the current exhibition during extended hours from 5-8pm. Currently on view: Crafting Abstraction and Turning Traditions. Our Museum Shop is also open!

Film Screening: Craft in America: Family | 6pm
Craft in America promotes and advances original handcrafted work and inspires people of all ages to pursue their own creativity. Family explores the creative environments and personal dynamics of four families of craft artists and asks: Is talent inherited? What is it like to live in a household where objects are made by hand? In this episode, President Jimmy Carter shares stories of Ed Moulthrop, a fellow Georgian who was known as the “father of modern woodturning.” Meet Ed’s son Philip and grandson Matt, who both carry on the family tradition. 

Mother's Day sale in the Museum Shop
30% off scarves now through May 13

 

 

 

Mother's Day is May 13! Visit us at our Museum Shop On the Slope at 175 Biltmore Avenue  through Sunday, May 13 and receive 30% off all of the beautiful scarves we have in the Shop. You may also purchase online! Visit the online Shop -- through May 13 you may use the code CELEBRATEMOM and receive 30% off any scarf.

 

Upcoming Events: 

During construction, the Museum is continuing an active schedule of programming On the Slope and elsewhere in our community.

Kids' Programs
-- After School Art Adventures
-- Storytime & Art
-- Summer Art Camp!

Art Break
Turning Traditions
May 4, 12pm
Asheville Art Museum On the Slope

First Friday Art Walk
Film Screening | Craft in America: Family
May 4
Film screening: 6pm
Extended Museum hours: 5-8pm
Asheville Art Museum On the Slope

Spring Workshops
Not Flat: Assemblage
May 19
Transparent Challenge: How to Draw Glass
June 16

Summer Workshops
Alchemy: Image Transfers
July 14
Delicious Ambiguity: An Uncertainty Workshop for Uncertain Times
August 11  

Forging Futures exhibition opens Thursday

News from the Center for Crafts, Creativity and Design 

Current Exhibit:

Tie Up, Draw Down

On view: June 2 - September 2, 2017

 

Tie Up, Draw Down explores weaving as a source for experimentation across media, genres, concept, and scale. Of the fifteen contemporary artists included in this exhibition, many hybridize weaving technologies, weave "the wrong way," or adapt and innovate weaving processes to encompass new media. Others do not weave at all, but find a rich avenue of inquiry within aspects or stages of weaving's complex field.

Artists include: Polly Apfelbaum, Joell Baxter, Jen Bervin, Francesca Capone, Liz Collins, Marianne Fairbanks, Del Harrow, Sheila Hicks, LoVid, John Paul Morabito, Danielle Mysliwiec, Meghan Price, Molly Smith, Laurel Sparks, and Margo Wolowiec.

 

 

 

Forging Futures

On view at Blue Spiral 1 (38 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801)

June 29 - August 25, 2017

Forging Futures surveys 24 emerging and established artists shaping the future of studio craft in this region. Their work represents the range of forms, techniques and materials employed to create handmade works of art, including functional and sculptural works in wood, metal, clay, glass, and fiber. 

Forging Futures was curated and organized by Blue Spiral 1 and The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Pursuing Excellence, the first survey documenting the rise and prominence of studio craft in the region. 

Artists include: Dean Allison, Alex Bernstein, Brian Boggs, Elizabeth Brim, Lisa Clague, Josh Copus, Heather Mae Erickson, Dustin Farnsworth, Jessica Green, Hoss Haley, Andrew Hayes, Eric Knoche, Stoney Lamar, Rachel Meginnes, Jaydan Moore, Zack Noble, Mark Peiser, George Peterson, Amy Putansu, Michael Sherrill, Tom Shields, Pablo Soto, Kathy Triplett, Hayden Wilson

10% of artwork sales will be donated to CCCD

 

Upcoming Events:

Free and open to the public, unless noted. $3-5 suggested donation. 

RSVP and share on Facebook

 

 

Spectacular Failure Panel Discussion

Thursday, June 29, 4 - 5 pm

Fine Arts Theatre
36 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC

Free and open to the public

REGISTER NOW

Three successful, highly regarded artists tell us about their biggest failures and how they use these setbacks as a tool to continue their work. Lisa Clague, Andrew Hayes, and Jaydan Moore provide information and inspiration for creative types everywhere. Exhibition opening reception to follow from 5-8 pm at Blue Spiral 1, 38 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC.

 

 

 

 

Why Craft, Why WNC? Lecture with Anna Fariello

Thursday, July 20, 6:30 pm

Blue Spiral 1
38 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC

Free and open to the public

REGISTER NOW

Anna Fariello, Research Associate Professor at Hunter Library at Western North Carolina University and Craft Revival Project Director, will reveal why craft has thrived in our region.

Teaching Craft Panel Discussion

Thursday, August 17, 6:30 pm

Blue Spiral 1
38 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC

Free and open to the public

REGISTER NOW

A panel of artists including Elizabeth Brim, Heather Mae Erickson, and 

Michael Sherrill will discuss the various methods of teaching a craft - from the classroom to the craft school to apprenticeships and DIY - and the pros and cons of each approach.

 

The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design 

 is located at 67 Broadway St., Asheville, NC 

 

 

The Art Museum's permanent address at 2 South Pack Square remains under construction with "The Museum on the Slope"open at 175 Biltmore Avenue for regular hours and special events.Admission is free during construction, but donations are welcomed to continue support of programs.

June 17, 2017 at The Asheville Art Museum: TIME WARP, the 2017 Benefit Gala.The event will be held at the Renaissance Asheville Hotel.

The evening includes:

• “Make It Yours” sumptuous cocktail dinner with wine, beer + signature cocktail
• Gourmet food stations to please every palate
• Live auction — fine art, travel packages
• Fund-the-Needs Lot: Cultivating the Future: Artists, Educators, Collectors, Museum Lovers and More
• Dream Bar + Chef Dinner raffles
• Centerpiece + Textile Art sales
• After Party on the Terrace with Zati & Meseret of Phantom Pantone
• Cash liquor bar available
• NEW! Meet-the-Maker VIP Hour at 5pm (additional fee) – includes valet parking

Make sure to dress your best in TIME WARP attire to have a chance to win the “Best-Dressed” award – a Glass Experience with Chaotic Joy Glassworks

GET TICKETS HERE
or call: 828.253.3227

The Asheville Art Museum Current Events

Yanka Kostova Carolina Day School Award Winner

January 27, 2017 from 5:00-7:00 PM, 175 Biltmore Avenue (the "pop up" location during renovations and construction) in Asheville NC - The Museum On the Slope. Celebrate the official opening of the Slope Gallery with a reception. Enjoy snacks and drinks, browse the gift shop and be the first to view the award-winning student artwork on view in the 2017 WNC Regional Scholastic Art Awards exhibition. The exhibit continues through February 26.

With major construction happening at 2 S. Pack Square in 2017, The Museum has moved to a pop-up location. Free admission! Current hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10 AM-5 PM and Sunday 1-5 PM.  What’s there? Our Gift Shop is open, and our first exhibition opens January 28. We also have an education studio to hold some programming, and our staff offices have temporarily moved to this location.


January 27, 12:00 PM at the Asheville Art Museum On the Slope - Art Break: Multimedia Storytelling. Last fall the Museum collaborated with UNC Asheville as a case study for Multimedia Storytelling for Journalism students. Each student selected an artwork, artist, or topic related to the Museum’s Permanent Collection to profile in multiple media formats. Students researched story ideas, interviewed sources, designed compelling stories and produced narratives to connect people with art. View for a screening of the student’s videos and a Q&A with Dr. Sonya DiPalma, Professor of Mass Communications.

Kenneth Noland courtesy of Asheville Art Museum

Work of the Week: NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST by Kenneth Noland. Kenneth Noland (1924-2010) was born in Asheville, NC. He was exposed to art at an early age by his mother, who was an amateur musician, and his father, a painter. After service in the Air Force, he returned to Asheville and attended Black Mountain College, where he was introduced to Bauhaus principles and color theories. 

This Week at the Asheville Art Museum

SPACE IS EXTREMELY LIMITED! REGISTER TODAY

 
Art Travels  -  Arts of the Earth: Wood and Clay
Tuesday, October 18, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00  p.m.
Cost (includes transportation and lunch): $85 members; $95 non-members
Register online before the trip sells out, or call 828.253.3227

Michael Sherrill and Stoney Lamar

Join the Museum for this special half-day, small-group tour to visit the Western North Carolina studios of two master artists working in natural media, plus a delicious locally sourced lunch! The first stop is to the Bat Cave studio of Michael Sherrill, a materials-based artist experimenting primarily in clay, metal, and glass whose handmade objects explore the intersection of humans and materials in the natural world. Then participants head over to Saluda for a tasty lunch at The Purple Onion, known for its organic ingredients and simple, healthful Mediterranean-inspired menu. After lunch the group visits the studio of Stoney Lamar, whose unique multi-axial lathe work gives his wood sculptures a distinct sense of movement. Work by both Sherrill and Lamar is featured in the Museum’s and other public and private collections around the country.

Tot Time
Tuesday, October 18, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Free with membership or Museum admission (children under 5 always free)

Come discover the art of play in our interactive Art PLAYce! This monthly program for pre-school aged children accompanied by an adult occurs on the third Tuesday of each month, and features a fun activity designed especially for our young visitors plus time to explore the Museum galleries.

This Tot Time  will be your last chance to enjoy the original Art PLAYce before construction begins! Look for the Education team in your community presenting Tot Time at local libraries and community centers.

For more information, please email Sharon McRorie or call 828.253.3227, ext. 124.

ON VIEW IN THE ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM GALLERIES 
Creating Change: Political Art from the Permanent Collection
Selections from the Permanent Collection: 140 Years of American Art
Vault Visible: Behind the Scenes at the Asheville Art Museum
Geometric Vistas: Landscapes by Artists of Black Mountain College
Community: Sharon Louden
Sol LeWitt: Creating Place

Penland Coordinators Featured in "Off The Clock" Show at Refinery Creator Space in Asheville NC

Now though September 16, 2016 - Off the Clock: Penland Studio Coordinator Show at  the Refinery Creator Space, 207 Coxe Avenue in Asheville NC.

Penland’s studio coordinators: Jay Fox, Susan Feagin, Nick Fruin, Ian Henderson,
Ellie Richards, Amanda Thatch, Betsy DeWitt, Daniel T. Beck

 
September 2 from 5 PM to 8 PM Artists' Reception. September 3 from 4 PM - 6 PM public talk. 


"OFF THE CLOCK features eight artists, all full-time studio coordinators at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, NC. The work on view here was made in the off-hours by friends and colleagues who see each other daily and exchange interests, affection, knowledge, and regard for each other. 

This is not a group show in the traditional sense. These artists are not strangers, and the works are not estranged from each other, despite their singular presences. Rather, looking from artist to artist, the viewer might pick up a magical sense that the works were made on the same set of evenings, in studios closeby. One of these artists might have looked up from her work and gazed out the cool, green window. She might have seen one of the other artists riding by on a bike, and waved." - curator and Penland friend Elaine Bleakney.

The job of a Penland studio coordinator is a many-faceted one. These eight coordinators order materials and keep studios clean and equipment running smoothly. They manage budgets and large inventories of supplies. They work with the programming office to plan upcoming workshops, and instructors to provide for specific classes, and individual students to solve problems on the fly. It’s a demanding and unpredictable job, which makes it all the more impressive that these eight individuals are also working artists in their own right. Penland is thrilled and proud that they have come together to put on a group show of their work at the Asheville Area Arts Council. Appropriately, the exhibition is called Off the Clock.

Clockwise from top left: Jay Fox, Ellie Richards, Amanda Thatch, Susan Feagin, Betsy DeWitt, Ian Henderson, Daniel T. Beck, Nick Fruin

CCCD Celebrates 20th Anniversary

On August 11 from 7-10 PM, The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design (CCCD) celebrates 20 years of service to emerging artists, researchers, scholars, and the public.

For the 20th Anniversary Celebration and Benefit,  "the CCCD is planning a one-of-a-kind event in celebration of the history of CCCD while embracing the cultural community and artists who make Asheville and Western North Carolina the location that it is known for today," says Stephanie Moore, Executive Director.

Gather with artists, collectors, friends, and sponsors of the arts for a memorable evening of interactive installations, great food, drinks, and live music. All 20th Anniversary ticket and patron gifts support the CCCD's 2016 activities.

The Celebration will take place at the CCCD located at 67 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville NC.

The Big Crafty this Sunday in Asheville's Pack Square

July 17, 2016    The Big Crafty returns to Pack Square. The event celebrates and showcases the fine wares of over 100 independent indie crafters, artists and makers. The complete line up of participating artists is available online. This is a free, family-friendly event.

This Week at the Asheville Art Museum

Last Chance to Register for An Afternoon at Highwater Clays.  This exciting behind-the-scenes tour is next week. Wednesday, July 20, 1:30 - 3:30 PM. Museum Members: $20,  Non-members: $30.  Meet at Highwater Clays (600 Riverside Drive, Asheville 28801).  For over 30 years, Highwater Clays has been mixing fine clays for artists’ use. Raw materials convene on Highwater from around the country, and are screened, mixed, refined and bagged using state-of-the-art technology. Join artists, collectors and Highwater founders Brian and Gail McCarthy for a private tour of Highwater’s production facility and warehouse, as well as their personal collection of fine-art ceramics. Light refreshments are provided. Space is limited; pre-registration is required. To register, click here or call 828.253.3227, ext. 122.


July 15, 2016 at 12:00 PM - Art Break.  More Than a Moment in Time: Selected Photographs from the Museum’s Collection with Taylor Heasley, Education Intern. Drop in to this informal lunchtime Art Break that focuses on works in our Permanent Collection! Our Art Breaks are designed to both inform and engage you in dialogue with our curatorial and education staff, docents or special guests. Free with membership or Museum admission.


July 19, 2016 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM - Tot Time. Come discover the art of play in the interactive Art PLAYce! This monthly program for pre-school aged children accompanied by an adult occurs on the third Tuesday of each month, and features a fun activity designed especially for our young visitors plus time to explore the Museum galleries. For more information, email Sharon McRorie or call 828.253.3227, ext. 124. Free with membership or Museum admission (children under 5 always free)

Museum Shop Centerpiece Sale Ends Friday - A limited selection of beautiful works of art featured at the recent benefit NEXT are available for purchase in the Museum Shop...but sales end Friday, July 15.  For more information or to purchase, click here.

Currently on view in the Asheville Art Museum Galleries:

• Vault Visible: Photographs
• Vault Visible: Behind the Scenes at the Asheville Art Museum
• Selections from the Permanent Collection: 140 Years of American Art
• Appalachian Innovators: Women Makers in the Southern Highland Craft Guild, 1930-2000
• Community: Sharon Louden
• Sol LeWitt: Creating Place

Folk Art Center Fiber Weekend Celebrates Textile Arts

May 14 - 15, 2016    Fiber Weekend at The Folk Art Center   Come enjoy a celebration of textile arts. Throughout the weekend, craftspeople will be sharing their inspiration and expertise as the Southern Highland Craft Guild hosts Fiber Weekend 2016. 

Educational craft demonstrations will include: spinning groups, quilting bees, yarn circles, weaving and more.  The Annual Fashion Show of Wearable Art will be held on Saturday.

Known for demonstrating the raw labor of processing fiber, Cassie Dickson will be presenting silk worms to silk fabric. “The silk worms will be babies on Fiber Day, but they will be looking for a place to spin their cocoon,” says Dickson. Other participants in attendance will be the well-known quilter Georgia Bonesteel, alongside Sheila Rauen working on blocks and patterns. Lin Oglesby and Rita de Maintenon will have their knitting needles ready, and Mary Nichols will be at her spinning wheel with the Blue Ridge Spinners.

The annual Fiber Wearable Fashion Show will be held on Sunday, May 15 at both 1 PM and 3 PM. In its seventeenth year it will continue to honor fiber wearables from a selected pool of artists within the Guild. With 20 years of membership in the organization, weaver Liz Spear will be emceeing. She will explain many of the techniques and processes, as well as pointing out the education centers within the region that offer opportunities of workshops or classes in the textile arts, for all experiences.   

Fiber Art Weekend is a FREE event held annually at The Folk Art Center, Milepost 382 on The Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville NC. 


 

"Interlude" Celebrates the Spirit of Black Mountain College Innovative Arts

April 8-29, 2015  Interlude  The Media Arts Project (MAP) and Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center (BMCM+AC) announce Interlude, a month-long series of contemporary art events to be held in and around BMCM+AC’s galleries in downtown Asheville. 

photo courtesy Black Mountain College Museum+Arts Center

Inspired by Albers’ break from the norm, Interlude is a break with their own tradition and will be held in lieu of {Re}HAPPENING, the annual weekend art event at the former Black Mountain College site at Lake Eden. Interlude is a platform for artists of multiple disciplines to carry out experimental and non-traditional practices emphasized by the scholars of Black Mountain College. 

The event will activate a variety of spaces in downtown Asheville through music, dance, poetry, video, installation, conversation, and participatory events.


Get links for lodging, dining and more local information on our Asheville NC Visitor Guide. 

Art Break Tomorrow at The Asheville Art Museum

March 18, 12:00 PM at The Asheville Art Museum, 2 South Pack Square in downtown Asheville NC - Make It Speak: Stories from the Vault. Free with membership or Museum admission 

Asheville Art Museum in Pack Square downtown

For this Art Break, Assistant Curator Carolyn Grosch will give a behind-the-scenes look at the Vault Visible exhibition and current curatorial projects leading up to the Museum’s major construction project. As the Museum undertakes the processes of inventory, packing and moving before the expansion, staff members are making new discoveries about the Museum’s collection every day. In this Stories From the Vault series, curators, educators and special guests tell tales of connoisseurship, conservation, collecting and conundrums as they delve into the recesses of the storage vaults.

Ooh La La Curiosity Market this Saturday in Asheville

August 29, 2015    Ooh La La Curiosity Market   An outdoor market in Pritchard Park  featuring works by local painters, leather smiths, jewelry makers, potters ,up-cycled crafters, and other curious delights, all beneath the colored canopies of large market umbrellas. 

In addition to the artists, the market will also feature live local music with up three musical acts performing each Saturday and will include everything from a solo saxophonist to folk, blues, acoustic, and jazz acts. 

Head for downtown Asheville NC this Saturday for one of the area's most popular outdoor art Markets.

 

Semi-annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands this weekend in Asheville NC

July 16 - 19, 2015    Semi-annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands   Over 200 exhibitors, craft demonstrations, and live regional music and entertainment bring Asheville's Civic Center (Cellular Center) alive with fine traditional and contemporary crafts. 

Both levels of the Center offer artisans exhibiting and selling works of clay, fiber, glass, leather, metal, mixed media, natural materials, paper, wood and jewelry.  The Fair  showcases the work of members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild with members living in the mountain counties of nine states from Maryland to Alabama. 

This is one of the biggest and best craft shows in the mountains.

The Asheville Civic Center, the US Cellular Center, is located at 87 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville NC. 

Asheville Art in the Park - a Favorite Asheville Art Market

June 27, 2015   Art in the Park    Artisans working in Glass, Ceramics, Wood, Jewelry, and metal show and sell in a public market setting in the center of Asheville NC in Pack Square Park. 

The event takes place on three consecutive Saturdays each June and October. Nationally known artists exhibit at this event and the best part is- they are local. 10% of the proceeds from the event will be donated to a local art non-profit organization.