Smart Bets: The Photography of Andrea Clark

Posted on by Kay West
Looking Down Eagle Street 1970-71 by Andrea Clark

Much of Asheville’s original East End neighborhood, once a center of Black residential and professional life, was destroyed by the city’s urban renewal policies between the 1960s and early 1990s. Before it was erased, local photographer Andrea Clark captured over 200 images of the community’s landscape, buildings and people.

The second part of an exhibit of these photos, The Photography of Andrea Clark: Remembering Asheville’s East End Community, opened at the Asheville Museum of History on Feb. 12 and continues through the end of May.

Clark was born and raised in Massachusetts, where she studied photography. In the 1960s, she moved to Asheville to live with her father. She is the granddaughter of influential Asheville master brick mason James Vester Miller.

The museum will also celebrate Black History Month with two other offerings. The free Community Day event, on Saturday, Feb. 22, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., will include children’s activities and an 11:30 a.m. program with YMI Cultural Center Executive Director the Rev. Sean Hasker Palmer on the history of the YMI. On Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6-7 p.m., painter LaKisha Blount will present Echoes of Texana: The Families That Made It a Community, exploring the historically Black town of Texana in Cherokee County, founded by Blount’s ancestor, Texana McClelland. avl.mx/ejg

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Kay West
Kay West began her writing career in NYC, then was a freelance journalist in Nashville for more than 30 years, including contributing writer for the Nashville Scene, Nashville correspondent for People magazine, author of five books and mother of two happily launched grown-up kids. In 2019 she moved to Asheville and continued writing (minus Red Carpet coverage) with a focus on food, farming and hospitality. She is a die-hard NY Yankees fan.
View all posts by Kay West →

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Smart Bets: The Photography of Andrea Clark”

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.