Asheville Hosts Annual Arts and Crafts Conference

February 19 - 21, 2016    2016 Arts and Crafts Conference  in Asheville NC.  Enrich your understanding of the Arts & Crafts Movement as the historic Grove Park Inn celebrates the 29th anniversary of the most popular Arts and Crafts event in the world.  

photo courtesy National Arts & Crafts Conference

Inspired by The Omni Grove Park Inn's rich Arts & Crafts tradition, from Old Hickory rockers to the Roycroft chandeliers, this three+ day Arts & Crafts event in Asheville features discussion groups, workshops, seminar presentations, walking tours, displays, demonstrations and three shows with antiques, contemporary crafts, books and magazines. This conference is designed for passionate collectors.

 Check Grove Park Inn availability and current rates HERE   

The Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands Begins Tomorrow in Asheville

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 (US 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.

Now in its 68th year the juried Craft Fair  offers the heritage of traditional mountain crafts along with the best in contemporary art craft and techniques. Beginning on Friday during each Craft Fair, mountain musicians perform live on the arena stage. Since the first fair in Gatlinburg in 1948, the music of the area has been woven into the fabric of the Craft Fair experience. From old time to bluegrass, this tradition is kept alive today. Visit www.craftguild.org for a complete list of performances.

The Southern Highland Craft Guild is a non-profit, educational organization established in 1930 to bring together the crafts and craftspeople of the Southern Highlands for the benefit of shared resources, education, marketing and conservation. The Craft Fairs are one of the ways in which the Guild fulfills its mission. To learn more about Guild programs, visit www.craftguild.org.

Fringe Art Festival this Weekend in Asheville

January 24 - 27   Fringe Art Festival  serves patrons of the arts from Asheville and beyond by facilitating the creation and production of avant garde work that may otherwise not find a venue. In past years the artistic mix has included actors, dancers, singers, videographers, painters and musicians, presenting a varied range of interesting work including cross-genre improvisation, Butoh dance, sketch theatre, modern dance, and multi-media performance art.

Western North Carolina Celebrates American Craft Week

October 5-14   American Craft Week  is a celebration of the wonders of American craft and its contribution to the culture and economy of the country. Dozens of participants in Western North Carolina host special events from open studios to major gallery exhibits.

The celebration begins at 6 PM  October 5 with a presentation by Jan Davidson, Executive Director of the John C. Campbell Folk School, sharing thoughts on the role of craft in Western NC and the significance of celebrating American Craft Week in WNC. Get a complete list of participants and events on the website.

Ooh La La Curiosity Market today in Asheville

August4  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.

Get a link for the Ooh La La Curiosity Market and other things to do in Asheville on the Asheville NC Visitors Guide.

Bele Chere Festival - a Weekend of Arts, Music and Food in Asheville

July 27-29   Bele Chere Festival   This lively Asheville weekend event is the largest free outdoor street festival in the Southeast. The three-day festival on the streets of Downtown Asheville features live, original music all day and night for 200,000 festival-goers.

Bele Chere means "beautiful living" and comes from an ancient Scottish dialect. Bele Chere offers the unique opportunity to see, taste and hear some of the region's finest art, cuisine and music.

Visual arts at the festival are displayed at the Art Park as well as throughout the Festival grounds.  The Arts Park features some of the best artists of Bele Chere, exhibiting jewelry, photography, pottery, woodwork, paintings, and metalwork. All items sold in the Arts Park are handmade. Visit the selected artists in the Drhumor and Asheville Savings Bank lots on Patton Avenue between Church Street and Lexington Avenue.

This year's musical line-up includes Antique Firearms, an indie rock band;  ArtOfficial, eschewing the simple magic of beat machines and samples for the irreplaceable warmth of organic instrumentation, and a meticulous care for crafting music with soul;  Baby Rattlesnakes, equal parts soulful jazz, appalachian folk, and catchy pop;  Balsalm Range, a blend of jazz - bluegrass - country and gospel;  and dozens of other original and renowned musicians.

Food and Beverages at the Festival go WAY beyond the usual over-warmed wieners. Experience Foodtopia at the Taste of Asheville in Pack Square. The Taste of Asheville features local restaurants, showcasing a sampling of some of the best cuisine in Asheville, from The Corner Kitchen and the Lobster Trap to Ultimate Ice Cream and Glam Ham Pork Rinds. Pritchard Park Food Court Vendors offer both traditional festival fare along with taste treats from the Amish Baking Co., Party in a Pita, Sherri's Crab Cakes, Steak Boys Inc., Tropical Delights and dozens more.  Beverage booths are located throughout the festival for a pause to refresh with water, soft drinks, beer and wine as well as microbrews from most of Asheville's acclaimed craft brewers.

Additional Bele Chere Festival activities include: The Purina Air Dogs;  The Kids area with a a mix of crafts, rides, and performances;  Easel Rider - Asheville’s Mobile Art Lab;  Nonprofit Booths such as Hats for Humanity;  KISS Country Karaoke to sing your favorite country song; The 33rd Bele Chere 5K hosted by the Asheville Track Club;  Asheville's Urban Trail and Public Art.

July 8 The Big Crafty at the Asheville Art Museum Today

July 8  The Big Crafty returns to the Asheville Art Museum. 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 now available online. This is a free, family-friendly event.

In addition to the Craft Event, be sure to browse the Museum's many current exhibits. Stop by the Family Art pARTy from 1 PM to 4 PM offering Hands-on art activities for all ages.

Get a link for the Big Crafty and other Asheville events and attractions on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide

Art and Music this Weekend in Asheville

July 7   Shindig on the Green Held outdoors at Pack Square Park in the heart of downtown Asheville, this FREE event was voted the #1 Local Outdoor Concert in the Mountain Xpress "Best of WNC" survey for four years. Bring your instruments, your lawn chair or blanket, family and friends and join the fun eight summer Saturdays.

July 7   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.

July 8   The Big Crafty The Big Crafty returns to the Asheville Art Museum. 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 now available online. This is a free, family-friendly event. In addition to the Craft Event, be sure to browse the Museum's many current exhibits. Stop by the Family Art pARTy from 1 PM to 4 PM offering Hands-on art activities for all ages.

Get a llink for Shindig on the Green, The Curiosity Market, The Big Crafty and other Asheville events and attractions on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

Asheville Downtown Art Walk this Weekend

June 1   Asheville Downtown Gallery Association Art Walk   Enjoy the fine art and craft of the Asheville Downtown Gallery Association and see on of the reasons Asheville has been voted #1 small city in the country by the readers of American Style Magazine 2 years running. 25 downtown venues participate with a complete Downtown Gallery Guide and a map available at any participating downtown gallery, the Chamber of Commerce, or Pack Place.