Around town: Fingerpicking in honor of Al Petteway

White Horse Black Mountain will host a tribute concert for Grammy Award-winning guitarist and composer Al Petteway on Monday, Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m.

This month marks the one-year anniversary of the Western North Carolina musician’s death. To celebrate his legacy, Petteway’s longtime friend and collaborator Robin Bullock will present “Robin Plays Al,” an evening of Petteway’s guitar music.

“I’m continually amazed at how simple and beautiful Al’s tunes are and how perfectly they work on solo guitar,” says Bullock. “They deserve to be heard, and if I can bring them to life for listeners now that he’s no longer with us, I’m honored to be able to do that for my old friend.”

Petteway’s acoustic fingerpicking compositions were strongly influenced by his love of Celtic music and his roots in folk, rock and blues. His music was featured in the Ken Burns documentaries Mark Twain, Baseball – The Tenth Inning, The Dust Bowl, The Roosevelts and the Emmy Award-winning The National Parks – America’s Greatest Idea. In 2005, he was voted one of the Top 50 Acoustic Guitarists of All Time by the readers of Acoustic Guitar magazine. He also served as coordinator for the Swannanoa Gathering’s Guitar Week for 25 years.

Bullock is the founder and host of White Horse Black Mountain’s monthly Carolina Celtic concert series.

White Horse Black Mountain is at 105 Montreat Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/e3e.  

Cultural ambassador teaches acting workshop

The Center for Spiritual Living Asheville will present Ronald Rand’s “Art of Transformation” acting workshop Friday, Sept. 6, 7-8:30 p.m.

The recipient of four Fulbright Awards, Rand is a published author, poet and playwright who has toured the globe as a Goodwill Cultural Ambassador with his one-man play, Let It Be Art! He is also the founder and publisher of The Soul of the American Actor newspaper and the author of three books: Create! How Extraordinary People Live to Create and Create to Live, Acting Teachers of America: A Vital Tradition and Solo Transformation on Stage: A Journey into the Organic Process of the Art of Transformation.

His workshop will incorporate improvisational poetry, song and movement exercises and explore the 40 tools of Konstantin Stanislavski’s “Method of Physical Actions” acting chart.

“Everything I have learned as an actor, having performed in hundreds of films, television shows and many stage productions, I bring into my workshop and share what it means to be a compassionate human being and how we are in service to one another,” says Rand. “I believe each of us has enormous gifts, talent and imagination, and through the workshop, those who come have an opportunity to let go of any fears and doubts and experience greater freedom and joy about creativity in life and on stage.”

The workshop costs $20 and is open to actors of all ages regardless of theater background.

The Center for Spiritual Living is at 2 Science of Mind Way. For more information, visit avl.mx/e3c.

Regional collective to empower WNC arts

WNC Creative Manufacturing held a kickoff event in August, unveiling recommendations for phase two of a plan to boost Asheville’s creative sector.

Now called the Creative Business Network, the initiative is a collaboration involving Land of Sky Regional Council, Mountain BizWorks, Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, Center for Craft and ArtsAVL. The effort began in 2021, when the collective sought and received funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission Power Planning Grant and Dogwood Health Trust to create a sector development plan that supports the work and contributions of regional artists and craftspeople.

After extensive research, listening sessions and stakeholder surveys, partners on the 26-county project have recommended that grant funds be used for training and entrepreneurial support, facilitated growth funding for creative manufacturers, increased market access, shared spaces and equipment, and growth of the creative manufacturing business network.

Current and future happenings include Mountain BizWorks’ biannual Craft Your Commerce series and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area’s launch of a storytelling campaign to promote WNC craft manufacturers nationally. A new Creative Business Network directory will use ArtsAVL’s creative portal platform to offer networking opportunities and support materials. The Center for Craft has also unveiled its Ideation Lab, which includes a fully equipped photo studio, computer stations for graphic design and editing, and a pack-and-ship station.

The collective plans to continue its work of boosting creative manufacturing and its benefit to the local economy over the next three years.

For more information, visit avl.mx/e3f.

Election sticker contest winner announced

Buncombe County Election Services has announced the winner of the 2024 “I Voted” youth election sticker competition.

With more than 2,300 people casting their votes for the winner, 12-year-old Maya LeRoy’s design was selected and will be featured at county polling stations this fall during the presidential election. Almost 70 designs were submitted by young artists across Buncombe County, who were then narrowed down to 10 finalists recognized at a recent Board of Commissioners meeting.

LeRoy is excited about her win. “I wanted voters to know that it is important for all different types of people to vote because they should get to have a say in the people that will run our country,” says the rising seventh-grader in a press release. Her design features a heart made with four hands, representing love and diversity.

For more information, visit avl.mx/bl7.