Browse through upcoming arts and theater events in Hendersonville, NC, including musicals, plays, operas, and more.

Thursday, May 16, 2024
A “Killer” Opportunity: Volunteer for the Murder Mystery Experience
May 16 all-day
Hendersonville Theatre

Luciano and Carmella Pasquale cordially request the honor of your presence at the wedding reception for their daughter Angelica to Francesco Giovanni!

Award-winning Broadway Actor and Director Jimmy Ferraro produces one of the longest-running Musical Comedy Murder Mystery dinner shows in the country!

We are currently seeking servers for this “killer” show, where we will be serving a four-course dinner. Volunteers must have prior serving experience and be able to lift up to 25 lbs as there will be a lot of standing and walking involved.

As a non-profit organization, we heavily rely on the support of volunteers to make Hendersonville Theatre a thriving place for theatre enthusiasts. We understand and value the importance of your time and for this opportunity, we will be compensating each server with a wage of $7.25/hr. We want you to know that we deeply appreciate your efforts!

This event is going to be an unforgettable experience and we would love to have you onboard. If you are interested in serving for us, please reach out to me directly via email at [email protected] for more information.

Arts Discounts Page
May 16 all-day
online w/ ArtsAVL
Call for Grant Panelists
May 16 all-day
online

GRANT SELECTION PANELS

ArtsAVL seeks reliable community members knowledgeable about Buncombe County’s arts and cultural organizations, local arts resources, and arts needs to volunteer to serve on ArtsAVL grant review panels.

ArtsAVL has 5 grant programs each fiscal year (July 1-June 30), with grant panels occurring throughout the year. Participating as a grant review panelist is a 2-4 week commitment depending on the number of applications submitted in the grant category. Applications vary based on grant program, and can range from 20-50 applications.

Panelists work with ArtsAVL staff and other panelists to evaluate grant applications, ensuring an equitable, transparent, and thorough review and ranking process. Panelists are offered a modest honorarium for their service and will be provided with detailed instructions and guidelines for review and scoring. Sufficient time is allocated for application review and scoring prior to a panelist meeting (either virtual or in person) to review scoring with ArtsAVL staff and make final recommendations.

Please note: All panelists will be required to disclose any connections to applicants and will have to recuse themselves from decisions around grant funding to those applicants. However, this does not prevent panelists from reviewing other applicants. Panelists must be 18+ and live or work in Buncombe County.

Call to artists: public art enhancements of the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail
May 16 all-day
online

Artist Qualification Application

Explore Asheville, River Front Development Group, and the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail (BCHT) Advisory Committee seek artists to submit qualifications for consideration for public art enhancements of the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail. Public art is art utilizing any media such as murals or sculptures in public spaces that are free and open to the public.

Project Background

In 2018 Explore Asheville, powered by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, supported the creation of the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage trail in partnership with River Front Development Group through a Tourism Product Development Fund Grant. The process included community engagement, the creation of an advisory committee, research, design, installation, and the creation of a digital version of the trail.

Twenty-one signs at 14 sites throughout downtown, Southside, and the River Area in Asheville were installed December 2023. The content of the trail informs the physical path that the trail takes through the historically Black neighborhoods that surround and include downtown Asheville. The four interpretive goals for this project are:

  • Share the accomplishments and contributions of the Black community in Asheville.
  • Celebrate individuals and groups that supported the community.
  • Highlight Black people’s agency and the capacity to express individual power.
  • Combat or correct misconceptions and preserve history for future generations.

Phase II of the project will include enhancement and placemaking through public art.

Artist Eligibility

Explore Asheville invites applications from professional artists or designers aged 18 or older who are eligible to work in the United States. Qualified artists should have experience working within communities in or around Buncombe County and/or a proven record of accomplishment using materials and methods appropriate for large format outdoor art installations. Explore Asheville encourages artists who only have one qualification to partner with an artist or maker who can fulfill the other qualifications. New artists and/or collaboration are encouraged. This call for qualifications is open to all, regardless of experience or size of portfolio.

Caroline Renée Woolard Art Exhibition
May 16 – May 24 all-day
The Village Potters Clay Center 

 

 

The Village Potters Clay Center is pleased to announce our first Featured Artist Exhibit for 2024 will be for Caroline Renée Woolard. The exhibit opened March 20 and runs through the end of May in the Feature Gallery at The Village Potters Clay Center.

 

Caroline Renée Woolard creates functional pottery with the intention of nurturing those who use it in their daily rituals, uplifting their spirits and homes as it invites them to find gratitude in the present moment. Her work explores movement through various textures on the surface with slip and carving, while finding stability and structure within the form. Each surface design is a unique expression of the energy of the moment that she creates it, and as she works with clay, she finds it to be a grounding process that reminds her of the importance of being centered and present.

 

The exhibit will include some of Caroline’s most popular forms like her mushroom mugs and vessels, her curvaceous lady forms, and her slipped vessels adorned with horsehair. She will also be creating new, larger pieces as she continues to explore the new directions her forms and textures are leading her, and we are all very excited to be along on her journey!

 

Caroline will also be taking part in the annual Multi-Kiln Opening Celebration at The Village Potters Clay Center on Saturday, May 4, where she will be demonstrating some of her surface design techniques and available throughout the day for questions and discussion about her work.

Spring Photo Contest: “Spring Inspiration”
May 16 – May 31 all-day
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park
Cost: Included with Park admission.
The Arts for Schools Grant
May 16 all-day
online

The Arts for Schools Grant supports nonprofit arts organizations and qualified teaching artists in Buncombe County, enabling them to provide arts-focused performances, residencies, workshops, and field trips for students in K-12 public schools. Through 2027, grants will also support arts-focused afterschool programs and camps thanks to an investment from Dogwood Health Trust, which awarded $15 million in multi-year funding grants to support organizations across the region providing high-quality, evidence-based out-of-school-time (OST) programs that have a high impact on young people. Grants for in-school programs range from $500-$2,000, and grants for out-of-school programs (including afterschool and camps) range from $500-$5,000. The application cycle opens May 13 and closes June 17.

Old Farmer’s Ball Thursday Dance
May 16 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Bryson Gym Warren Wilson College

Our Thursday Dance

This dance is fragrance-free (no perfume, cologne, strong deodorant, etc.), out of respect for those with sensitivities.

Schedule

  • Every Thursday night (except as indicated on the calendar)
  • Beginner lesson at 7:30 pm (advanced dancers are welcome to help out during the lesson!)
  • Dance 8 pm – 11 pm

Cost

  • Non-members: $12
  • OFB Members: $10
  • Warren Wilson community: $1

If this is your first time dancing with us, your second dance is free!

Friday, May 17, 2024
Arts Discounts Page
May 17 all-day
online w/ ArtsAVL
Call for Grant Panelists
May 17 all-day
online

GRANT SELECTION PANELS

ArtsAVL seeks reliable community members knowledgeable about Buncombe County’s arts and cultural organizations, local arts resources, and arts needs to volunteer to serve on ArtsAVL grant review panels.

ArtsAVL has 5 grant programs each fiscal year (July 1-June 30), with grant panels occurring throughout the year. Participating as a grant review panelist is a 2-4 week commitment depending on the number of applications submitted in the grant category. Applications vary based on grant program, and can range from 20-50 applications.

Panelists work with ArtsAVL staff and other panelists to evaluate grant applications, ensuring an equitable, transparent, and thorough review and ranking process. Panelists are offered a modest honorarium for their service and will be provided with detailed instructions and guidelines for review and scoring. Sufficient time is allocated for application review and scoring prior to a panelist meeting (either virtual or in person) to review scoring with ArtsAVL staff and make final recommendations.

Please note: All panelists will be required to disclose any connections to applicants and will have to recuse themselves from decisions around grant funding to those applicants. However, this does not prevent panelists from reviewing other applicants. Panelists must be 18+ and live or work in Buncombe County.

Call to artists: public art enhancements of the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail
May 17 all-day
online

Artist Qualification Application

Explore Asheville, River Front Development Group, and the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail (BCHT) Advisory Committee seek artists to submit qualifications for consideration for public art enhancements of the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail. Public art is art utilizing any media such as murals or sculptures in public spaces that are free and open to the public.

Project Background

In 2018 Explore Asheville, powered by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, supported the creation of the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage trail in partnership with River Front Development Group through a Tourism Product Development Fund Grant. The process included community engagement, the creation of an advisory committee, research, design, installation, and the creation of a digital version of the trail.

Twenty-one signs at 14 sites throughout downtown, Southside, and the River Area in Asheville were installed December 2023. The content of the trail informs the physical path that the trail takes through the historically Black neighborhoods that surround and include downtown Asheville. The four interpretive goals for this project are:

  • Share the accomplishments and contributions of the Black community in Asheville.
  • Celebrate individuals and groups that supported the community.
  • Highlight Black people’s agency and the capacity to express individual power.
  • Combat or correct misconceptions and preserve history for future generations.

Phase II of the project will include enhancement and placemaking through public art.

Artist Eligibility

Explore Asheville invites applications from professional artists or designers aged 18 or older who are eligible to work in the United States. Qualified artists should have experience working within communities in or around Buncombe County and/or a proven record of accomplishment using materials and methods appropriate for large format outdoor art installations. Explore Asheville encourages artists who only have one qualification to partner with an artist or maker who can fulfill the other qualifications. New artists and/or collaboration are encouraged. This call for qualifications is open to all, regardless of experience or size of portfolio.

Registration Open: Fall 2024-Spring 2025 Asheville Junior Theater – School of Dance
May 17 all-day
Asheville Junior Theater

Get ready to dance into the spotlight because Asheville Junior Theater (AJT) –
School of Dance is excited to announce the grand opening its dance school. Registration
for the upcoming Fall 2024-Spring 2025 season is now open! With a commitment to igniting
artistic passion and fostering unparalleled talent, AJT School of Dance is your ticket to an
electrifying dance experience like no other.

AJT School of Dance is more than just a dance studio; it’s a gateway to a transformative dance
experience. With a focus on fostering self-confidence, promoting integrity, and nurturing a
genuine passion for dance, our dedicated instructors are committed to guiding each student on
a path of artistic discovery and self-expression.

Registration for the Fall 2024-Spring 2025 season at Asheville Junior Theater – School of Dance
is now open! Don’t miss your chance to be part of something extraordinary. Classes are offered
for ages 4-adult.
For more information on class offerings and registration, visit
www.ashevillejuniortheater.com/dance or contact [email protected].
Unique classes offered: Aerial Arts, Tricks and Stunts, Musical Theater, Performance Crew–
in addition to all the various technique classes of Jazz, Tap, Ballet/Lyrical, Hip Hop and more!

Registration Open: Summer Camps at the Wortham Center
May 17 all-day
Diana Wortham Theatre

Imaginative kids can createexplore, and play in Summer Camps at the Wortham Center! With high-energy, low-pressure programs for rising 1st-5th grade campers, week-long camps expand minds, build life skills, and create meaningful friendships through the arts.

Register now online or by calling the Box Office at 828-257-4530. Space is limited.

A limited number of full and partial need-based scholarships are available upon application through Arts for All Kids. Families who qualify for free or reduced lunch are welcome to apply.

Questions? Email Director of Education Anna Kimmell at [email protected].

2024 Creative Arts Summer Camps

CREATIVE ARTS CAMP
Rising 1st-2nd Grades
JUNE 24-28, 2024
 • 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  

Little kids with BIG imaginations can dance, sing, act, create, and collaborate in this high-energy, low-pressure arts camp! With engaging activities rooted in creative play, kids will have so much fun expressing themselves through the arts, they won’t even notice they’re also building confidence, improving physical and emotional awareness, honing listening and focus skills, and learning to work within a group. At the end of the week, campers will celebrate what they’ve learned in an informal sharing for friends and family.

$185 in February ($205 after March 1)

PERFORMING ARTS CAMP
Rising 1st-2nd Grades

JULY 15-19, 2024 • 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  

In this week-long, half-day summer arts camp, students will have fun exploring the fundamentals of acting, music, and movement. Through engaging activities rooted in creative play, kids will make friends, explore the performing arts, discover new tools for expression, and share what they’ve learned in a short performance presented at the end of the week for friends and family.

$185 in February ($205 after March 1)


CREATIVE ARTS CAMP
Rising 3rd-5th Grades

JULY 8-12, 2024 • 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Kids will have fun exercising their imaginations in this week-long camp exploring the creative arts! With daily activities in acting, dance, music, design, technical theatre, and more, this high-energy, low-pressure camp builds life skills, confidence, and friendships through the arts. Kids will leave feeling empowered to take creative risks on stage and off.

$290 in February ($310 after March 1)


PERFORMING ARTS CAMPS
Rising 3rd-5th Grades

JULY 22-26, 2024 • 9 a.m.-3 p.m.  

Kids can connect with other creative thinkers as they write, develop, and perform in their own original show! With an emphasis on self-expression, collaboration, and the creative process, kids will have fun exploring daily activities in acting, movement, creative writing, and improvisation in a low-pressure, supportive environment. At the end of the week, young artists will share their newfound skills in an informal performance for family and friends. No prior performing arts experience is necessary, only an open mind.

$290 in February ($310 after March 1)

The Arts for Schools Grant
May 17 all-day
online

The Arts for Schools Grant supports nonprofit arts organizations and qualified teaching artists in Buncombe County, enabling them to provide arts-focused performances, residencies, workshops, and field trips for students in K-12 public schools. Through 2027, grants will also support arts-focused afterschool programs and camps thanks to an investment from Dogwood Health Trust, which awarded $15 million in multi-year funding grants to support organizations across the region providing high-quality, evidence-based out-of-school-time (OST) programs that have a high impact on young people. Grants for in-school programs range from $500-$2,000, and grants for out-of-school programs (including afterschool and camps) range from $500-$5,000. The application cycle opens May 13 and closes June 17.

The Disney Cruise Raffle
May 17 all-day
online w/ Asheville Community Theatre

Here’s your chance! Asheville Community Theatre is thrilled to offer you the opportunity to win a magical 4-day Disney Cruise for four. By purchasing a raffle ticket, not only do you get a shot at an unforgettable family vacation, but you also support the arts in our community.

Prize Details:

  • A Dream Cruise: The winner and three guests will embark on a 4-day journey to the Bahamas aboard a Disney Cruise ship. You’ll stay in a Veranda Cabin with breathtaking views and top-notch amenities.
  • Customized Experience: Work with our travel agent, David Lloyd of Foothills Travel, to tailor your trip to perfection. Whether it’s exciting onboard activities or exploring the ports, your adventure will be exactly what you’ve dreamed of.
  • Travel Support: We’ve got you covered with an additional $500 to help with transportation to and from Port Canaveral, ensuring a smooth start and end to your magical journey.
  • Complete Assistance: From the moment you win to the end of your cruise, you’ll have personalized support to ensure your trip is seamless and unforgettable.
  • Tickets are just $50 each, making this the perfect opportunity to potentially win a trip valued at $8,800, while supporting Asheville Community Theatre’s mission to enrich our community through the arts.

Don’t miss out on this chance to create lasting memories with your loved ones. Get your tickets now!

Click here to view the complete set of rules.

Transform Lives Through Art: Support the Asheville Art Museum’s Spring Annual Fund
May 17 all-day
Asheville Art Museum

At the Asheville Art Museum, we strive to transform lives through art. We do this by not only inviting people to experience the great works in our galleries, but also by creating opportunities to engage with the rich tapestry of artistic expression unfolding within our city today.

Our dynamic events provide an opportunity for community members and diverse artists to come together, fostering connection and inspiration for all participants. Here’s an example of this work in action: we recently held a Community Day inspired by our latest exhibition The New Salon: A Contemporary View, which celebrates Pop-Surrealist, Graffiti, and Street Art, the event centered around creative activities with a similarly rebellious spirit.

Community members were invited to express the most fantastical corners of their imagination with chalk, visit our Makerspace to design press-on nails with help from Asheville nail artist Rachel Ghazarian, get a glimpse of their future with a tarot reading from Krysta Beth Heidman, or enjoy the perfect soundtrack provided by local DJ Lil Meow Meow. The event concluded with spotlight talks and tours of the exhibition, which includes works from local artists Ian Wilkinson, Maxx Feist, Ishmael Leaver, Danny Reed, and Brian Mashburn, giving visitors the opportunity to engage directly with the works that inspired the day’s activities.

Your generous support is instrumental to initiatives like these, which foster vibrant connections between our community and the talented creatives who make Asheville’s art scene thrive. By contributing to our Spring Annual Fund, you play a crucial role in nurturing artistic excellence and enriching our community through the power of the arts.

ART CONNECTIONS TOURS
May 17 @ 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Asheville Art Tour Locations

A morning tour on select Wednesdays and Fridays going to 2 studios – which will always include 1 private glass studio and 1 art studio in a different medium (such as pottery, fiber, books, sculpture, etc).  These will be pre-arranged studio visits – not customized with the participant. Time frame: 9:30a to 12 ~ 12:15p.

Inspired by the Chihuly at Biltmore glass exhibit, this new tour will give participants a chance to meet a local glass artist along with another professional artist in a different medium.  Glass studios included will feature: cast glass, blown glass or cold formed glass.  Glass artists will be one of the following:  Alex Bernstein, Carl Powell, Brad Smith, Robert Stephan or Hayden Wilson.

Dates for the first half of the year are: April 5, 10, 19; May 8, 17, 22; June 12, 14, 21, 26; July 5, 10, 19, 24, 26.

AND If you are a glass collector, or have special interest in meeting more of the regions incredible glass artists, private customized tours are available to book.

 

“Nurtured by Nature” Art Exhibition
May 17 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Village Potters Clay Center 

The Village Potters Clay Center (TVPCC), announces the opening of “Nurtured by Nature”, a special exhibit featuring new works by each of the six resident potters of TVPCC.

When you have six wildly talented, skilled, and creative artists working together, it can be a challenge to pick a singular theme for a show. But it didn’t take long before the resident potters at TVPCC realized that they each had a connection to nature, and it expressed itself in different ways in their lives and work.

Sarah Wells Rolland grew up in Florida near the water and life that grew in and around it. For this exhibit, she has created singular pieces using broad strokes through slip to emulate Water Grass, and her deliciously beautiful glazes invite you to touch. You can almost feel a soft Florida breeze!

Judi Harwood has her work already rooted deeply in nature, using corn husks, bamboo leaves, and other organic materials in her sagger fired vessels. On a recent trip to the beach, she noticed an amazing pattern in the sand from the ebb and flow of the tide dragging shells across the sand. She knew instantly that she needed to carve a similar design in her pieces for Raku and other alternate firing processes, and you will find those pieces in this exhibit.

Caroline Renée Woolard has always had a deep love for nature, in particular the forest and the element of water and the rhythm of waves. You will find these things in the movement of her slip application, and in her carved mushrooms that invite a child-like sense of wonder and joy.

Katie Meili Messersmith is a self-proclaimed math nerd, and she loves the beauty of sequencing and patterning that she achieves in her slip dot applications on her pots. She also sees this beauty of math sequencing in nature, like in the petals of flowers, and has explored this in her work in a stunning series of bowls.

Julia Mann’s work has always been inspired by her love of nature and love of season, as well as her love of women and love of Goddess. Venus of Willendorf remains a guiding influence on her work more than twenty years after carving her first form. Julia has created new Venus pieces as well as pieces inscribed with other symbols of nature that inspire her, from spider webs to trees and mountains.

Lori Theriault grew up on the edge of the woods in central Vermont, and spent many afternoons hiking in the trees, touching each bark to feel what she saw. She also spent many nights star gazing with her father, waiting for an Apollo rocket to fly overhead. Lori represents her love of trees and flowers in functional work with her wax resist designs, and she is exploring more sculptural work in her “Vincent Series” that celebrates her love of a star-filled sky and her love and admiration for Van Gogh’s impasto technique in ‘Starry Night’.

Nurtured by Nature will be on exhibit through the end of June at The Village Potters Clay Center. The gallery is open daily, 10am-5pm.

The Village Potters are Sarah Wells Rolland, Judi Harwood, Lori Theriault, Julia Mann, Katie Meili Messersmith, and Caroline Renée Woolard, along with Director of Operations, Keira Peterson. They comprise an intentional Collective of potters who share a commitment to nurture creative exploration through education, experience, and community. The Village Potters includes a fine craft gallery, a Teaching Center offering ongoing classes in wheel, hand building, and sculpture for adults, an Advanced Ceramic Studies Program, and online demonstrations and workshops. The Village Potters Clay Center is an educational member of The Craft Guild of the Southern Highlands, and is an official distributor for Laguna Clays.

A Garden of Quilts Show
May 17 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Bonclarken Conference Center

There will be over 200 quilts on display, including Quilts of Valor, raffle baskets galore and
many vendors from North Carolina and surrounding states. Hours are Friday, May 17, 10am to 5pm and Saturday, May 18, 10am to
4pm. Admission is $5 per person per day

Art Exhibition: Hammer and Hope
May 17 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft

Historians estimate that skilled Black artisans outnumbered their white counterparts in the antebellum South by a margin of five to one. However, despite their presence and prevalence in all corners of the pre-industrial trade and craft fields, the stories of these skilled workers go largely unacknowledged.

Borrowing its title from a Black culture and politics magazine of the same name, Hammer and Hope celebrates the life and labor of Black chairmakers in early America. Featuring the work of two contemporary furniture makers – Robell Awake and Charlie Ryland – the pieces in this exhibition are based on the artists’ research into ladderback chairs created by the Poynors, a multigenerational family of free and enslaved craftspeople working in central Tennessee between the early nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Through the objects featured in Hammer and Hope, Awake and Ryland explore, reinterpret, and reimagine what the field of furniture-making today would look like had the history and legacy of the Poynors – and countless others that have been subject to a similar pattern of erasure – been celebrated rather than hidden. Hammer and Hope represents Awake and Ryland’s attempts, in their own words,  “at fighting erasure by making objects that engage with these long-suppressed stories.”

Robell Awake and Charlie Ryland are recipients of the Center for Craft’s 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship. This substantial mid-career grant is awarded to two artists to support research projects that advance, expand, and support the creation of new research and knowledge through craft practice.