The City of Asheville’s Public Art and Culture Commission has put out an open call for artists and designers to submit their qualifications for a new art piece along Asheville’s Urban Trail.
The piece will be installed on the sidewalk in front of the 1929 S&W Building, an art deco food hall designed by Douglas Ellington with original art fabricated in Italy. Over time, the art eroded and had to be removed. Karli Stephenson, an urban designer for the city, says the decision was made last year to replace the art rather than restore it. The new piece will become station No. 7 on the Asheville Urban Trail, a walking tour of Asheville’s architectural and artistic legacy.
“The artwork doesn’t need to be an exact replica of the architecture/style of the S&W Building, but it should complement and celebrate it,” says Stephenson. “The proposed artwork will be reviewed by the Public Art and Culture Commission as well as the Historic Resources Commission to ensure it is contextual and relevant.” Ideas such as functional or interactive art have been suggested, as well as sculpture, mosaic or brickwork.
The deadline to apply is Monday, May 13, 5 p.m. Applications must include a plan for installation and maintenance of the art piece. Three artists or teams will be selected to develop proposals, and the two semifinalists not chosen will be paid a $500 honorarium. The selected artist will command a budget of $80,000 for the project, including fabrication and installation of the facade.
The S&W building is at 56 Patton Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/dmx.
Folkmoot celebrates Latin American music
Folkmoot USA will present a celebration of Latin American culture featuring Maritzaida and Latin American dance group Raíces Emma-Erwin in Waynesville on Thursday, May 2, 7 p.m.
The event will honor Latin America’s musical heritage through the traditional style of bolero music. Maritzaida began her professional singing career performing for the U.S. Air Force Band alongside her husband, guitarist Aaron Weibe.
Raíces Emma-Erwin is a nonprofit that promotes awareness of Latino culture and builds community through Latino music and dance traditions. The group has developed youth programs for the Emma/Erwin area such as the Ballet Folklórico, which will perform at the celebration. Delish food truck will be on-site providing Venezuelan food. General admission is $22, and student tickets are $5.
The Folkmoot Friendship Center is at 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville. For more information, visit avl.mx/cp9.
New collection honors missing Indigenous people
Qualla Boundary MMIW and Museum of the Cherokee People will hold a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Archiving Event on Thursday, May 2, 9 a.m.-noon. and 1-5 p.m., in the museum’s multipurpose room.
The museum will begin housing community materials for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Collection. The organization is seeking photos, newspaper clippings, video recordings, voice recordings and other materials associated with missing members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians that can be archived to provide information about the missing persons. The collections staff will be available at the event to scan and return original material, and contributors are welcome to make privacy requests for their documents. Lunch will be provided.
The event coincides with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Awareness Month. MMIW has also organized the fifth annual Walk & Vigil for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives on Sunday, May 5, which is National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. This event will take place at Oconaluftee Island Park in Cherokee and is sponsored by the Center for Native Health.
The Museum of the Cherokee People is at 589 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee. To learn more, visit avl.mx/dmz.
Young professionals awarded
PROpel AVL will host an inaugural award ceremony at Highland Brewing Co. on Tuesday, May 7, 6-8 p.m. The PROpel awards celebrate young professionals who have served the Asheville community with distinction.
PROpel Awards are part of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce’s initiative to create a sense of community and collaboration among Asheville’s young entrepreneurs. The awards are distributed based on a range of factors such as public service, mentorship and industry leadership. Candidates must work for an Asheville chamber member company with a significant presence in Buncombe County.
“The awards gala, where we are recognizing five outstanding young professionals, had almost 40 nominees,” says Leeanne Briggs, director of PROpel AVL. “Our community volunteers and advisory committee voted on the winners. We also have PROpel AVL After Hours [events], which encourage a sense of community and help us foster and build professional network skills. Those occur monthly starting in July 2024.”
This year’s nominees include Charlotte Stack, chief operating officer of Chai Pani Restaurant Group; Samantha Coffin, owner of Matcha Nude; Lucy Phillips of MANNA FoodBank; Woody Taylor, assistant men’s basketball coach for UNC Asheville; and many more. Molly Parti will perform a DJ set for the event, and Carin Metzger will emcee. There will also be a cash bar with dinner served by Everyday Gourmet.
To learn more about the candidates or the awards ceremony, visit avl.mx/dn0.
Benefit concert for Tanzanian clinic
River Arts District Brewing Co. will host a fundraiser for the City of Hope, a Tanzanian children’s clinic, on Sunday, May 5, 4-7 p.m.
The fundraiser was organized by Asheville residents Kathy Scott and Richard Williams, who recently returned from a monthlong volunteer trip in Ntagacha, Tanzania. There they worked at the Amani Medical Center in the City of Hope clinic, which they say desperately needs renovations. “The City of Hope was started in 2007 to provide residential care for orphans and other at-risk children,” Scott says. “This program is where their physical, emotional, educational, social and spiritual needs are met.” A raffle will be held to raise funds for the Amani Medical Center’s tile fund, featuring prizes from Black Dome Mountain Sports, Still Point Wellness, Skinny Beats Sound Shop, La Rumba Restaurant and more.
Adama Dembele and his trio will perform live African music from 4:30-5:15 p.m., followed by Jonathan Pearlman, who will perform an eclectic set on the acoustic guitar. Queens Island Cuisine food truck will be on-site.
River Arts District Brewing Co. is at 13 Mystery St. To learn more about the City of Hope, visit avl.mx/dn1.
Pan Harmonia performs classical concert
Asheville chamber orchestra Pan Harmonia will perform an evening of Romance music at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, May 5, 3 p.m.
Kate Steinbeck will play flute, Katherine Haig will play cello, and Dewitt Tipton will play piano. The set list includes Bach’s Cello Suite, Ernst Bacon’s Dusk Over the Marsh, John Rutter’s Suite Antique and Carl Maria von Weber’s Trio for Piano, Flute and Cello.
The Romance concert represents the finale of the 2024 chamber orchestra season. The performance is donation-based, and reservations are encouraged.
First Presbyterian Church is at 40 Church St. For more information visit avl.mx/93e.
New pavilion unveiled in Webster
Webster is celebrating the completion of a new community pavilion on Sunday, May 5, 2-4 p.m.
The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Team will host the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m., followed by brief remarks by local and state dignitaries. The event will feature live music performed by J Rex and His High Mountain Pals, as well as lawn games, cornhole boards, bubbles and a station with materials for making flower crowns. The Town of Webster will provide complimentary cupcakes, and food trucks Dogs on Wheels and Jack the Dipper will serve hot dogs and ice cream. At 3:15 p.m., Diane Shallock will lead a maypole dance around a pole constructed from a local poplar by Will Whitfield.
The pavilion is at 1528 Webster Road, Webster. For more information, visit avl.mx/dmy or email info@townofwebster.org.
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