Some Asheville-based arts organizations are focused on more than teaching technique to those in search of a new skill. Sure, learning how to use the tools is no small accomplishment, but these initiatives use artwork to expand horizons, explore self and community and heal wounds both physical and emotional.
The group exhibition of handcrafted toys and games opens Nov. 18 at Grovewood Gallery.
The fall edition of the fair takes place Oct. 20-22 at the U.S. Cellular Center.
“At this point, I would guess Western North Carolina enjoys the highest density of artists and craftspeople per capita … in the U.S.,” says Jon Ellenbogen of Barking Spider Pottery. He and his wife Becky Plummer have been working together for 41 years and have participated in the Spruce Pine Potters Market every year.
Warren Wilson College’s Master of Arts in Craft Studies is expected to launch in the summer of 2018. When it does, it will join the MFA Program for Writers as the college’s only master level classes.
![VESSEL VISIONS: Asheville-based mixed-media artist Heather Allen Hietala shows 14 works in the group exhibition Outside Inspiration at Blue Spiral 1. “The vessel in all its many forms is [Hietala’s] muse,” says a press release for the show. “Seedpods, canoes, paddles, sailboats, weaving shuttles and kayaks are part of her personal history.”](https://mountainx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Hietala-On-a-Course...-330x186.jpg)
American Craft Week goes week beyond the virtual world, offering special exhibitions, gallery openings, demonstrations, workshops, sales, fairs and more.
It’s the season of change for two of Western North Carolina’s craft institutions. In May, John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown named Jerry Jackson as its new executive director. A month later, Penland School of Crafts in Penland announced that Maria “Mia” Hall would take the reigns as director, effective Jan. 1, 2018.
Today, the cooperative includes around 300 members. Applicants go through a jury process and must show documentation of belonging to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Once in, those artists are lifetime members.
Equilibrium is the first paired show between local jeweler, Christie Calaycay and local woodworker and painter, Cris Bifaro. The two makers will debut their latest works, a combination of metal and wood creations, at Charlton Bradsher Art + Design.
The 43rd annual celebration of Southern Appalachian music, dance, arts and crafts takes place Saturday, Sept. 30 at Western Carolina University.
The inaugural festival takes place Saturday, Sept. 23, at French Broad River Park.
The fine arts and craft show takes place in downtown Weaverville on Saturday, Sept. 16.
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a young rocking horse maker’s art fair entry, a swing dance enthusiast’s revival of old tunes and a musical that aims to counter racial tensions in the U.S.
While studying at Burren College of Art in Western Ireland, “I knew I wanted to use plant dyes, so I started foraging from the local landscape,” says Suzanne Teune. Mainly what she found were blackberries, discovered when a classmate crushed a handful into a white t-shirt.
The Asheville artist leads the Center for Craft, Creativity & Design’s outdoor pop-up workshop on letterpress printing Friday. Aug. 4.
Five of the 25 winners in the national competition are from Western North Carolina.
It was announced last month that John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown had selected Jerry Jackson as its new executive director. And this week, Penland School of Crafts in Penland named Maria “Mia” Hall as its next director.
The biannual event returns to the U.S. Cellular Center Friday, July 21, to Sunday, July 23.
Brandy Bourne and Justin Rabuck have seen indie crafts evolve firsthand. Nine years ago, they founded The Big Crafty, a biannual art and craft market. With eclectic products and a convivial atmosphere styled after Taiwanese bazaars, The Big Crafty proved to be an instant hit.
Whether you favor pig pickin’ or watermelon, live music or a dramatic reading of the “Declaration of Independence,” there’s something for everyone this holiday, and Xpress has all your pie-flavored, freedom-filled needs covered.
The artistic collaboration takes place at The BLOCK off Biltmore on Sunday, July 2.