Calendar of Events

The Biltmore Estate has been planning the largest exhibition in its historic gardens for almost a decade. And finally, last week, Chihuly at Biltmore opened with a mega installation of glass sculptures from the famous artist Dale Chihuly. Tens of thousands of glass pieces from all around the world reside in 14 locations around the Estate (which is the very first large-scale N.C. Chihuly installation).

The exhibition is up from now until Oct. 7th, free admission with a Biltmore day pass (and free for annual pass holders). Chihuly at Nightis a special, ongoing event where the glass sculptures are lit up, plus live music in the gardens + a wine bar. Tickets are $37.50 for kids + range from $65 – 75 for adults ($10 discount for pass holders).

Three new works were blown just for Biltmore, and 6 new compositions were put together.

arth Skin is based upon the forms and textures of the earth using inspiration from aerial photography of Western North Carolina and topographical maps of local areas, including Pisgah National Forest and Balsam Range. Created by ceramic artists Trish Salmon and Crystal Allen, Earth Skin includes wall structures and pieces designed for mantles, shelves and tables. All works are available for purchase and a portion of the sales will be donated to The North Carolina Arboretum Society.

About the Artists

Trish Salmon

Trish has been studying clay for many years through the various classes available to her when she lived in the Atlanta area. Taking classes at Penland was a life changing experience and a turning point in her desire to become a studio ceramicist. She and her husband moved to Western North Carolina in 2007, and she has pursued her claywork full time after her career as a kitchen designer. Immediately after retirement, she enrolled in Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program in clay where she received her Associate’s Degree in 2014. She currently is a member of the Odyssey Coop Gallery in the River Arts District in Asheville, NC. She is also a founding member of Artisans on Main in downtown Weaverville where her studio is and where her work is primarily displayed.

Crystal Allen

Before discovering ceramics, Crystal earned a degree in Graphic Art and Design. She has also taught calligraphy, dabbled in watercolors and and learned how to felt, dye and spin natural fibers from her own llamas and sheep. Most recently, Crystal completed the Professional Crafts: Clay Associates degree at Haywood Community College.  Her pottery is primarily functional, with altered or hand built additions. Her pieces are produced in her studio, one of her favorite places on earth!

Event Type: Local Event
Event Category: Art & Culture
Contact: Grovewood Village
Contact Phone: (828) 253-7651
Link: https://www.grovewood.com/

Falling, a solo exhibition of contemporary paintings by Michael Francis Reagan, opens at Grovewood Gallery on Saturday, June 9, with an artist’s reception from 2-5pm (free and open to the public). This show will feature acrylic paintings on canvas from Reagan’s popular Falling Series, inspired by a haunting memory of a childhood encounter with a mourning dove that had fallen from the sky. This exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, July 15, 2018.

Reagan received a degree in art and American literature and an MFA in painting from the University of Arkansas. Aside from his paintings, Reagan has established himself as one of American’s leading mapmakers. As a freelance illustrator, he has been employed by major publications such as National Geographic, The New Yorker, Smithsonian magazine, Travel and Leisure, and The New York Times. Reagan’s bird paintings and environmental maps continue to be commissioned by Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, The National Parks of America, and other conservation organizations.

This exquisite, interactive exhibit is designed to inspire and educate visitors about the storied history and evocative power of scent while taking them on a full sensory journey, literally! Blending flora, fashion and science, Making Scents showcases some of Mother Nature’s most fragrant botanicals and unveils the plants and flowers behind some of the world’s most iconic perfumes. Visitors will explore the mysterious power of the sense of smell, learn about the artistry and science behind the fragrance industry and even compose their own basic fragrance.

From traditional harvest and extraction methods to chemical combinations of synthetic fragrances, Making Scents uncovers the technical processes behind fragrance creation through an immersive, multisensory experience. Art, passion and craft come together inside the exhibit’s iconic bottle display, which showcases the unique designs of more than 100 perfume bottles, some dating back to ancient the Greek and Roman eras. By integrating horticulture, history and pop culture, Making Scents is sure to enlighten the senses and engage the minds of visitors about the fragrance industry and the living world in a fun, dynamic way.

The AAAC is excited to welcome the kindergartners of Ira B. Jones Elementary into the Hall Gallery. The kindergarten classes are working on a new social studies unit called Our Community. In this unit they will be exploring questions like: Why do people work? How we can help our community? What are our community’s needs and wants? The students will be learning about different kinds of neighborhoods like rural, city, suburban, and why they are important.
In art class the students will apply their understanding of these topics by creating a paper collage of their neighborhood. They will use various paper shapes to create a collage of a neighborhood. The neighborhoods will “link” together with a road that “unites” us all as one community.
The creations inspired by this lessons will be on display Monday – Friday, 10 am – 5 pm from May 4 – June 29, 2018.

Process is a collaborative exhibit by Erica Stankwytch Bailey, Asheville Makers, The Bright Angle with special guest artist Emily Rogstad.
This exhibition offers insight into the working worlds of creative collaborations and independent makers. Artifacts demonstrating inception of idea, design and making will be shown alongside finished pieces to illustrate the inherent value of the creative process.
“The creative process is not just iterative; it’s also recursive. It plays out “in the large” and “in the small”—in defining the broadest goals and concepts and refining the smallest details. It branches like a tree, and each choice has ramifications, which may not be known in advance.” -Dubberly Design Office
Erica Stankwytch Bailey is a Metalsmith and small business owner who designs and makes handmade artisan jewelry. Many of her pieces are inspired by an intense fascination with the building blocks of our world, most specifically molecular and crystalline structures.
The Bright Angle is a modern design company focused on showcasing the process and story behind the makers and products. At The Bright  Angle we emphasize practical utility and technology to offer handmade lifestyle goods through carefully curated designer-maker collaborations.
Emily Rogstad graduated in 2013 with a BFA in Metalsmithing + Jewelry from Maine College of Art. After some traveling she moved to Penland School of Crafts for two years for the Core Fellowship. Now a resident of Asheville, North Carolina she spends her time maintaining an inquisitive studio practice, and enjoying the mountains. She is currently the new Design Resident with The Bright Angle.
Asheville Makers is a makerspace in the Asheville area. They are a community of tinkerers, makers, engineers, educators, scientists, artists, hackers, geeks, etc. Anyone who is, aspires to be, or just wants to hang around with local smart, creative, friendly mad scientist folk is welcome!
Process will be open in the Front Gallery of the Refinery Creator Space from June 1 – July 27, 2018 with an opening reception on Friday, June 1 from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

The Asheville Art Museum is excited to present Red Hot in the Blue Ridge, an exhibition being held in conjunction with Western North Carolina’s community-wide Summer of Glass celebration. On view at the Asheville Art Museum On the Slope at 175 Biltmore Avenue May 19 – September 30, 2018, Red Hot in the Blue Ridge celebrates Western North Carolina’s unique place in the history of American Studio Glass. Many other organizations and galleries across WNC are also hosting glass-focused events, programs and exhibitions during the region’s Summer of Glass celebration, which coincides with a new exhibition at Biltmore of multi-media artist Dale Chihuly’s monumental glass sculptures.  Visit www.ashevilleart.org for details.

2018 marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center. As the last exhibition to be held in our 56 Broadway gallery before we move to 120 College Street on Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville, Shared History highlights not just the museum’s origins, collection, programs, and exhibitions but also the many ways that this organization has created a space for connection and experimentation. This fulfills our early promise to BMC alumni to be not merely a museum memorializing the past, but a center geared towards building community and fostering forward-thinking creativity in the present. An Opening Reception will be held on June 1st from 5:30PM – 8PM, with a Gallery Talk by Exhibition Curator, Erin Dickey, at 6:30PM. We welcome all who have been a part of our history, and hope that new audiences will gain insight into the scope of BMCM+AC’s reach, both locally and around the globe. This event is FREE and Open to the Public

Falling, a solo exhibition of contemporary paintings by Michael
Francis Reagan, opens at Grovewood Gallery in Asheville on Saturday, June 9, with an artist’s reception
from 2-5pm (free and open to the public). This show will feature acrylic paintings on canvas from
Reagan’s popular Falling Series, inspired by a haunting memory of a childhood encounter with a
mourning dove that had fallen from the sky. This exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, July 15,
2018.