Exhibition and Public Programming

Vera B. Williams, an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books, started making pictures almost as soon as she could walk. She studied at Black Mountain College in a time where summer institutes were held with classes taught by John Cage and Merce Cunningham. Williams studied under the Bauhaus luminary Josef Albers and went on to make art for the rest of her life. At the time of her death, The New York Times wrote: “Her illustrations, known for bold colors and a style reminiscent of folk art, were praised by reviewers for their great tenderness and crackling vitality.” Despite numerous awards and recognition for her children’s books, much of her wider life and work remains unexplored. This retrospective will showcase the complete range of Williams’ life and work. It will highlight her time at Black Mountain College, her political activism, and her establishment, with Paul Williams, of an influential yet little-known artist community, in addition to her work as an author and illustrator.

Author and illustrator of 17 children’s books, including Caldecott medal winner, A Chair for My Mother, Vera B. Williams always had a passion for the arts. Williams grew up in the Bronx, NY, and in 1936, when she was nine years old, one of her paintings, called Yentas, opens a new window, was included in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. While Williams is widely known for her children’s books today, this exhibition’s expansive scope highlights unexplored aspects of her artistic practice and eight decades of life. From groundbreaking, powerful covers for Liberation Magazine, to Peace calendar collaborations with writer activist Grace Paley, to scenic sketches for Julian Beck and Judith Malina’s Living Theater, to hundreds of late life “Aging and Illness” cartoons sketches and doodles, Vera never sat still.

Williams arrived at Black Mountain College in 1945. While there, she embraced all aspects of living, working, and learning in the intensely creative college community. She was at BMC during a particularly fertile period, which allowed her to study with faculty members Buckminster Fuller and Josef Albers, and to participate in the famed summer sessions with John Cage, Merce Cunningham, M.C. Richards, and Robert Rauschenberg. In 1948, she graduated with Josef Albers as her advisor and sculptor Richard Lippold as her outside examiner. Forever one of the College’s shining stars, Vera graduated from BMC with just six semesters of coursework, at only twenty-one years old. She continued to visit BMC for years afterward, staying deeply involved with the artistic community that BMC incubated.

Anticipating the eventual closure of BMC, Williams, alongside her husband Paul Williams and a group of influential former BMC figures, founded The Gate Hill Cooperative Artists community located 30 miles north of NYC on the outskirts of Stony Point, NY. The Gate Hill Cooperative, also known as The Land, became an outcropping of Black Mountain College’s experimental ethos. Students and faculty including John Cage, M.C. Richards, David Tudor, Karen Karnes, David Weinrib, Stan VanDerBeek, and Patsy Lynch Wood shaped Gate Hill as founding members of the community. Vera B. Williams raised her three children at Gate Hill while continuing to make work.

The early Gate Hill era represented an especially creative phase for the BMC group. For Williams, this period saw the creation of 76 covers for Liberation Magazine, a radical, groundbreaking publication. This exhibition will feature some of Williams’ most powerful Liberation covers including a design for the June 1963 edition, which contained the first full publication of MLK’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Williams’ activism work continued throughout her life. As president of PEN’s Children Committee and member of The War Resisters league, she created a wide range of political and educational posters and journal covers. Williams protested the war in Vietnam and nuclear proliferation while supporting women’s causes and racial equality. In 1981, Williams was arrested and spent a month in a federal prison on charges stemming from her political activism.

In her late 40’s, Williams embarked in earnest on her career as a children’s book author and illustrator, a career which garnered the NY Public Library’s recognition of A Chair for My Mother as one of the greatest 100 children’s books of all time. Infinitely curious and always a wanderer at heart, Williams’ personal life was as expansive as her art. In addition to her prolific picture making, Williams started and helped run a Summerhill-based alternative school, canoed the Yukon, and lived alone on a houseboat in Vancouver Harbor. She helped to organize and attended dozens of political demonstrations throughout her adult life.

Her books won many awards including the Caldecott Medal Honor Book for A Chair for My Mother in 1983, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award– Fiction category– for Scooter in 1994, the Jane Addams Honor for Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart in 2002, and the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s Literature in 2009. Her books reflected her values, emphasizing love, compassion, kindness, joy, strength, individuality, and courage.

Images:

Cover of Vera B. Williams’ A Chair for My Mother, published in 1982.

Vera B. Williams, Cover for Liberation Magazine, November 1958.

Veggie Stars, Herbs, Flowers

ELIDA helping children succeed

Spring Musical

Finding Nemo KIDS

2nd-4th Grades

Fridays

2:30pm-4:00pm

2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26, 5/3, 5/10

No Class: 3/1 TWD, 3/29 Early Release, 4/5 Spring Break

Dress Rehearsal: 5/3 2:30-4:00pm

Performance: 5/10/2024 3:30pm

Tuition: $270

Students will learn all about teamwork as they work together with their classmates and a professional Teaching Artist to perform scenes and songs from a short musical. Each actor will receive their own part with lines and songs to learn. Class time will be used for rehearsal and a performance complete with costumes and props will take place on the final class day.

In Person at Avery’s Creek Elementary School

15 Park S Blvd, Arden, NC 28704

Buncombe County will continue to offer ASAP’s Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables and Farm Fresh Produce Prescription.

Plan to collaborate with other musicians at Sideways Farm & Brewery in Etowah. Bring your instruments and voices and enjoy making music and networking with other artists, while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Food truck is on site and beverages available for purchase from Sideways (small
batch craft beers, hard jun, ciders, wine, and non alcoholic drinks). Family, fans, friends, and leashed dogs are all welcome!
During winter months enjoy playing under the covered, sheltered, heated porch! And during the summer months enjoy
collaborating in the fields, on the stage, or under the patio

For nature and literary lovers, ecopoetry is the perfect collaboration. Taking inspiration from your backyard, a tree you love, the bird that visits your feeder every day, and so much more, we’ll learn how to write about the things in nature that catch our eyes and hearts. Interested in some examples? Check out Drew Lanham, Mary Oliver, and Alice Walker.

Bring a favorite pen and we will have projected images to help your imagination.

A little clip about me:

Donnie Henry is a Creative Writing student at Warren Wilson College. They are a poet, painter, avid reader, river lover, and a fan of all amphibians. They work in their college Herbarium and love talking about it!

Downtown After 5 has become a staple of Asheville’s cultural calendar, offering residents and visitors alike a chance to experience live music in the heart of our vibrant city. This year, each event is centered around highlighting a nonprofit partner with a theme that celebrates diverse musical genres, food and beverage offerings, local makers, and community initiatives. Each Downtown After 5 event draws an enthusiastic crowd of between 5,000 to 6,000 attendees to North Lexington Avenue, transforming it into a vibrant hub of music, dance, and community.

April 19 | Psychedelic Funk
In partnership with the Mosaic Art Walk, an event supporting 15 nonprofit organizations through the United Way, we’ll kick off the series with a blast of color and sound. Empire Strikes Brass will headline the evening, supported by opener Magenta Sunshine. The event will be emceed by comedian Kim Richardson, setting the stage for a night of immersive funk and psychedelic grooves.

May 17 | Yacht Rock
Teaming up with Blue Ridge Pride, we invite you to smooth sail through the sounds of Yacht Rock Schooner, with Lazr Luvr opening the night. Our emcee, DIVINE the Bearded Lady will ensure a memorable evening for all.

June 21 | Juneteenth
In a special collaboration with the MLK Foundation, we celebrate Juneteenth with the soulful Sierra Green & the Giants headlining and Lyric setting the mood.

July 19 | AVL Fest Kickoff
The official kick-off to AVL Fest, in support of Asheville FM, we’re bringing to the stage Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast as headliners, with The Greenliners opening.

August 16 | LEAF Downtown
In collaboration with LEAF Global Arts, we’re excited to bring back LEAF Downtown at Downtown After 5. Tito Puente Jr. will be headlining the event, with the LEAF Kono Band opening.

September 20 | Outdoor Rec Fest
Closing out the series is September’s Outdoor Rec Fest with Riverlink. Featuring headliner Oliver Hazard and opener Paul McDonald. Celebrate Asheville’s outdoor lifestyle by engaging with our outdoor recreation partners and vendors.

Downtown After 5 is more than just a concert series; it’s a community staple that celebrates the diversity and creativity of Asheville. Each event is free to the public, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and partners. Food and beverage vendors will be on-site, with a portion of proceeds supporting the nonprofit partners associated with each event.

Explore Beer City on the one and only Fender Bender!

Duration

3 hours

About

Visit 3 breweries in under three hours on a purple bus with a live band! Beer purchased from the LaZoom Room or at the brewery stops are allowed on the bus. This tour sells out quickly, so please book in advance. This tour is perfect for birthday parties, bachelorette parties, and any kind of get together. This tour is not great if you want to see any behind the scenes of beer making. We’re all about the fun on this tour!

Age Restrictions

21 and up. No exceptions.

What’s Included

3 Brewery Stops (30 Minutes each) Highland, New Belgium, & The Wedge at Foundation
Bottled Water
Amazing Live Music
Transportation to breweries
Charismatic Beer Host

What’s Not Included

Beer (You can buy from The LaZoom Room)
Cash! You’ll want to tip the guides for changing your life for the better.

Waitlist

If your desired time and availability is full, then please give us a call to be added to the waitlist.

Tickets are now on sale for the 8th Annual Color Me Goodwill fashion show. Unlike any other show, Color Me Goodwill is fashion with a mission, showcasing local artists, sustainable fashion, and, most importantly, the participants that we serve through our employment programs and services. Seven design teams have taken on the challenge of using secondhand clothing to create a five-piece collection based on a selected color. Each collection features a model who has participated in Goodwill employment programs and services. Buy your tickets today at The Orange Peel box office and follow Color Me Goodwill on Facebook for the latest updates.

You may have seen Tyger Tyger Gallery’s first open call a few months ago. If you missed it, we put out a call for works on paper and we were overwhelmed by the response we received and the quality of work that was submitted. Out of hundreds of entries, we selected 27 artists who will be showing in I will tell you mine. Working across an impressive range of applications, methods, and materials, the selected artists engage paper’s malleability and structure with natural and synthetic paper substrates that are variously painted, drawn, and printed upon with wet and dry media. It promises to be an exciting exhibition that celebrates paper’s versatility. The opening reception is on Friday, April 19 from 6 – 8pm. There were will be light refreshments provided by Newstock Pantry. We can’t wait for you to see the show!

Every Friday Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over the country! This week we have Sammy Anzer from Denver!!!

Some enjoy Sammy for his Queens NY affect and slick, playful approach to difficult topics. Some like him for his resemblance to Daniel Riccardo. Some remember him as the cleanest comedian at Skankfest or as “Church Camp Drake” on Kevin Hart’s ‘You look like’, but all agree Sammy Anzer is growing into the mixed-race comedic voice in America, and he has proven it by performing with DL Hughley, Maria Bamford, and Fahim Anwar.

Catch Sammy live to see why: “Anzer’s performances blend joy with contemplation, and his insightful societal commentary inspires reflection while maintaining an uplifting atmosphere.”—Rooster Magazine.

featuring Salma Zaky and Kate Strobel

Explore the dark side of Beer City on LaZoom’s Ghosted Tour!

Duration

1 hour

About

Come enjoy our most popular Asheville tour!

About

Bachelorette/Bachelor Parties are not permitted on this tour. The Fender Bender Bus is bachelorette/bachelor friendly!

Learn about Asheville’s strange, sometimes sordid past from our ghoulish guides. You’ll laugh! You’ll scream! You’ll discover mysteries and chilling tales of scandal and murder on the blood-stained streets of this picturesque town!

Ghosted runs approximately 60 minutes. Beer and wine are welcome onboard, but no open containers, and absolutely no liquor, please! All beer and wine must be purchased from the LaZoom Room. (Passengers must be at least 21 years old to drink on the bus, and must have valid ID.)

Age Restrictions

17 and up. No exceptions.

What’s Included

A bunch of bus seats
History of murders, ghosts and tragedies in the Land of the Sky
Tongue-in-cheek comedy
A live (not dead) tour guide

What’s Not Included

Bathroom breaks (It’s 60 minutes long – plan accordingly!)
Beer or Wine (Purchase at our bar, the LaZoom Room, and take on the bus)
Laughing (we’ll give you the funny, but it’s up to you to laugh)
Gratuity (guides only accept dead president currency)

Waitlist

If your desired time and availability is full, then please give us a call to be added to the waitlist.

Houndmouth is an American alternative blues band from New Albany, Indiana formed in 2011, consisting of Matt Myers (guitar, vocals), Zak Appleby (bass, vocals), and Shane Cody (drums, vocals).Houndmouth formed in the summer of 2011. After playing locally in Louisville and Indiana, they performed at the SXSW music festival in March 2012 to promote their homemade self-titled EP. Geoff Travis, the head of Rough Trade was in the audience and offered a contract shortly after. In 2012, the band was named “Band Of The Week” by The Guardian. In 2013 Houndmouth’s debut album, From the Hills Below the City, was released by Rough Trade. This led to performances on Letterman, Conan, World Cafe, and several major festivals (ACL, Americana Music Festival, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Newport Folk Festival). SPIN and Esquire.com named Houndmouth a “must-see” band at Lollapalooza, and Garden & Gun said, “You’d be hard pressed to find a more effortless, well-crafted mix of roots and rock this year than the debut album from this Louisville quartet.”

On their new album Good For You, Houndmouth share a collection of songs set in places as far-flung as the Alamo and the Hudson River, each populated by a motley cast of characters: fairy-tale princesses and vampires, parking-lot lovers and wanna-be beauty queens. The fourth full-length from the Indiana-bred band—vocalist/guitarist Matthew Myers, drummer/vocalist Shane Cody, and bassist/vocalist Zak Appleby—the result is a lovingly gathered catalogue of those wild and fleeting moments that stay lodged in our hearts forever, taking on a dreamlike resonance as years go by.

Produced by Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Hiss Golden Messenger) and mixed by Jon Ashley (The War on Drugs, B.J. Barham), Good For You came to life at Houndmouth’s longtime headquarters, a 19th-century shotgun-style house decked out in gold wallpaper and crystal chandeliers. “It was my grandparents’ place, and after they passed we kept it the exact same, full of all their old stuff,” Cody explains. Over the course of a year spent holed up at the so-called Green House, Houndmouth slowly shaped the warm and unhurried sound of Good For You. “Except for the first EP we’d never recorded in our own space before,” says Myers. “It was perfect because we all felt so comfortable, and there were no time constraints on anything.”

In a departure from the shambolic spirit of past work like Little Neon Limelight (Houndmouth’s 2015 breakout, featuring the platinum-selling “Sedona”), Good For You bears a hi-fi minimalism that beautifully illuminates its finespun storytelling. “From working with Brad and Jon we learned to go for the simplest parts that best support the melody, and to let the frequencies take up more space in the songs,” says Myers. On the album-opening title track, Houndmouth bring that approach to a sweetly languid breakup song set against the surreal backdrop of the Kentucky Derby (“I wrote that before Covid, but at the time I was sort of emotionally going through a pandemic,” Myers points out). On “Miracle Mile,” Houndmouth pay homage to the many misfits they’ve met on the road, including a woman they’ve nicknamed after the Greek god of wine and ritual madness (“Sweet Dionysus/She never really liked us/Hangs on and stays too long/And then supplies us all with vices”). One of the most heavy-hearted moments on Good For You, “McKenzie” looks back on an ex-girlfriend of Cody’s and spins a tender portrait of wasted longing (“Everybody’s coming over/To smoke and go nowhere/Once a steady conversation/Just a bunch of hot air”). And on “Cool Jam,” Houndmouth eulogize a doomed romance, embedding their lyrics with so much broken wisdom (e.g., “Ain’t no heaven when you’re having a good time”).

On its closing track “Las Vegas,” Good For You shifts into a far rowdier mood, offering up a freewheeling anthem that once again reveals Houndmouth’s ability to build a novel’s worth of tension in just a few lines (“You wore makeup for three days straight/Half a Xanax for the holidays/By the look on your face/You’re rolling eights the hard way”). Working from a demo they’d laid down years before, the band produced “Las Vegas” on their own in the frenetic final session for the album. “We had a mic at one end of the hallway, and we were all just screaming the harmonies together from the other end,” Myers notes. In assembling the tracklist for Good For You, Houndmouth nearly withheld the song due to its outlier status, but ultimately found its joyfully unhinged energy well-suited to a world waking up from a year of grief and isolation. “I love how you can hear the difference between Brad really anchoring us down on all the rest of the album, and then the chaos of us handling that one ourselves,” says Cody.

For Houndmouth, the making of Good For You allowed for a major leap forward in their songwriting and sound while recalling the pure abandon of the band’s early days. “I remember the first time I ever came to the Green House and saw what was happening here and I thought, ‘I’m never leaving this place,’” says Myers, who met Appleby and Cody in high school and started collaborating with them in college. “This album felt like being back in that time again, only now everything’s a little more dialed-back and cared-for. It was like a return to the way we fell in love with playing music together.”

Feel the irresistible energy and heart-pounding rhythms of dance with the first professional dance company dedicated to the art of stepping. These multi-talented artists showcase a unique and vibrant form of dance that combines percussive footwork, call-and-response chants and high-energy performance — blending African American dance styles, traditional African dances and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into one cohesive, compelling artistic experience.

Connect with the art and the artists

Pre-show discussions with the artists are available to ticket holders. Details forthcoming.

Two shows, one experience! 

From April 18 through the 21, TheatreUNCA will host two productions “Sincerely,” and “The Egg” in the Carol Belk Theatre.

Tickets are $2 and available for purchase here: https://our.show/sincerelytheegg

On April 18-20, the show begins at 7:30 p.m. and on April 21 it begins at 2 p.m. The runtime is approximately 90 minutes with a 15 minute intermission. The show includes fog, haze, mentions of self harm and disordered eating, and explicit language.

A short pre-show outside Carol Belk Theatre will begin at 6:30pm on April 18-20, 1 p.m. on April 21, featuring music and food offered by Queen’s Island Cuisine and Cooking with Comedy food trucks!

About the shows:

“Sincerely,” written and directed by Mack Moseley ’24, is an experimental play exploring what it means to live in the world (as we perceive it to be) with sincerity. This collage-style theater piece lives on a continuum from the sincere and real to the superficial and performed. These stories are told in short scenes by characters isolated in their relationships, desperately trying to discern what is real.

“The Egg”  is based on an original short story written by Andy Weir and is adapted and directed by Alex McFadden. The play follows an individual’s experience with the afterlife upon their death, and their meeting with an individual known as God.

By John Logan
Directed by Julie Kinter
Fangmeyer Theatre

Starring Lyn Donley as Sue Mengers

Step into the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s golden age with I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers! This captivating one-woman show, penned by acclaimed writer John Logan, invites you into the opulent world of legendary talent agent Sue Mengers. Set against the backdrop of 1981 Beverly Hills, this intimate and revealing performance offers a front-row seat to Mengers’ life, career, and the tantalizing secrets of the stars she represented. Get ready for an evening of laughter, scandal, and behind-the-scenes tales that will leave you hungry for more. Bette Midler originated the role and now its back on its feet with the one and only Lyn Donley!

Rated PG-13, strong language.

Immerse yourself in the extraordinary world of Matilda: The Musical, a delightfully imaginative adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s book. This Tony Award-winning musical weaves the story of Matilda, a young girl with a sharp wit, unbounded imagination, and psychokinetic powers. Despite the indifference of her shallow parents and the tyranny of the oppressive headmistress Miss Trunchbull, Matilda discovers the strength within herself to change her story. Infused with dark humor, whimsical storytelling, and dazzling performances, Matilda: The Musical is a testament to the power of imagination, resilience, and the transformative magic of learning. A must-see for audiences of all ages who love heartwarming tales of triumph against all odds.

A talkback with the cast & crew of Matilda: The Musical will be held following the performances on April 14th and 21st.

The Price Is Right Live™ is the hit interactive stage show that gives eligible individuals the chance to hear their names called and “Come On Down” to win.  Prizes may include appliances, vacations and possibly a new car!  Play classic games just like on television’s longest running and most popular gameshow…from Plinko™ to Cliffhangers™ to The Big Wheel™ and even the fabulous Showcase.  Playing to near sold-out audiences for more than 20 years, the Price Is Right Live™ has entertained millions of guests and given away more than 15 million dollars in cash and prizes.  If you’re a fan of The Price Is Right™ on TV, you’ll no doubt love this exciting, live (non-televised), on-stage version of the show!

Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, CLUE is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.

“A very fun whodunit that strikes contemporary parallels on the way to its grand reveal.”
– The New York Times

“Reminds you what a breezy night of pure entertainment feels like.”
-TheatreMania

“An intriguing must-see production”
– Broadway World

Official Website

©Hasbro. All rights reserved.

Doors Open: 7:00 PM

– ALL AGES
– FULLY SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE

YOUNG DUBLINERS

After thirty years as one of the world’s leading Celtic Rock bands, The Young Dubliners have begun work on their tenth studio album while still maintaining their busy tour schedule.

Having survived the crushing impact of the lockdown on their industry they have returned stronger than ever and determined to bring their fusion of Celtic and rock music to as many people as they can.

The band is Keith Roberts (vocals / guitar), Chas Waltz (Violin, keys, vocals), Justin Pecot (guitar, vocals), Dave Ingraham (drums) and Ethan Jones (bass guitar).

With a solid line up, a new batch of songs and the help of their new agency, Skyline, The YD are excited to bring live music back into festivals, theaters and clubs around the world.

“We want to be the band who reminds the world how important a good gig can be to our sanity after what we’ve all been through” says Roberts.

For only the second time the band is looking to its fans to finance the album instead of a traditional record company. “The business has changed so much over our lifetime that it no longer makes sense for us to take money from a label and then owe it all back” adds Roberts. “Making all our supporters co producers is a far more rewarding way to make a record and allows us to maintain control all the way”.  The band have teamed up with long time producer, Irish born Tim Boland, and will begin recording in the coming months.

Although the Young Dubliners sound is most commonly called ‘Celtic Rock’, that label can often be misleading. The Irish influence is certainly there, but it’s not the only influence that bursts through on their albums or live shows. After all, several of the band members have no Irish roots of any kind. “That was always the idea”, explains Roberts “The sound was intended to be a hybrid because we all come from different backgrounds. Even though I am from Ireland, a lot of the music I listened to growing up wasn’t Irish at all, but when I got here, I got homesick and developed a new appreciation for Irish Music. In truth the Celtic riffs can just as easily come from the American band members. Everyone writes now so you never know what you’ll end up with.”

DYLAN WALSHE

after/glow is excited to have Miami-based DJ Dean Walker in the house. They suggest guests start warming up their feet because Dean Walker will be in the cage with just the vibes the crowd needs this Friday, April 19th. He brings a new sound of Afro House together with Latin & Tech house elements.