Feb issue final 2018

Page 1

INSIDE: SPECIAL PERFORMING ARTS COVERAGE

ARTS & CULTURE R A P I D RI VER MAGAZINE’S

WWW.RAPIDRIVERMAGAZINE.COM

February 2018 Vol. 21 No.6

THE OLDEST AND MOST READ ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE IN WNC


COVER ARTIST

“I’m sorry, but the boss is all tied up right now.” Alexa Edelman, Marisa Noelle, Myra McCoury, and Luke Haynes star in Asheville Community Theatre’s production of 9 to 5 The Musical. Photo credit: Studio Misha

Oh my Dolly! ‘9 to 5 The Musical’ plays ACT Feb 9 - March 4

By Staff Reports

Dolly Parton’s music and lyrics take center stage in Asheville Community Theatre’s next production, 9 to 5 The Musical. In this high-energy musical, three female secretaries are fed up with being

looked over, looked down upon, or outright ogled by their nightmare of a boss

– and they join forces to

do something about it.

At Consolidated Industries, Violet, Judy and Doralee are working 9 to 5 for Mr. Hart, a horrible, chauvinistic boss. The women team up to dream up ways they could get him out of the picture – and find sisterhood in ridding themselves of their nasty, skirt-chasing boss. While he is out of commission, they continue

to combine forces to take control of the company. There’s nothing these ladies can’t do! “This is such a fun and funny show, and yet it is based on a reality that is obviously still relevant today,” said Susan Harper, Executive Director of ACT. “The three women at the center of 9 to 5 are working through issues that, as a country, we’re still dealing with. It’s pretty delicious to see them succeed. And I’m betting we’ll hear the audience hoot and holler for so many of the lines!” 9 to 5 The Musical stars a cast of 28 community members, many of whom are making their ACT debuts. The three leads, memorably played by Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin,

and Jane Fonda in the iconic 1980 film, will be performed by Myra McCoury, Marisa Noelle, and Alexa Edelman. Mr. Hart will be played by Luke Haynes. Local teens Graham Podraza (Reynolds High) and Jack Anderson (Roberson High) will alternate the role of Josh. Asheville Community Theatre’s production of 9 to 5 The Musical is directed by Jerry Crouch with music direction by Sarah Fowler and choreography by Tina Pisano-Foor. Opening Weekend perks include complimentary champagne on Opening Night, complimentary chocolate on Saturday night, and a talk-back with the cast and crew after the Sunday matinee.

2 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018

9 to 5 The Musical Music and lyrics by Dolly Parton; Book by Patricia Resnick; Based on the Twentieth Century Fox film. Directed by Jerry Crouch with musical direction by Sarah Fowler and choreography by Tina Pisano-Foor Feb. 9-March 4, performances Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm; Additional Thursday night performances on Feb 22 and March 1. $25-$30 Adults, $15 Under 17. Asheville Community Theatre Box Office 35 East Walnut Street / Downtown Asheville • (828) 254.1320 • ashevilletheatre.org

IF YOU GO


Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 3


PERFORMING ARTS

The extremely talented and stunning Lincoln Center Chamber Society

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in concert Feb 23

By Staff Reports

The Asheville Chamber Music Series will present The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in concert on Friday, Feb 23, 8 pm.

555 Merrimon Ave

The concert welcomes the celebrated chamber ensemble of one of the most recognized presenters of chamber music in the Nation and

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4 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018

will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville at 1 Edwin Place in Asheville. The Chamber Music Society (CMS) of Lincoln Center’s performance venue, Alice Tully Hall, has received international acclaim as the world’s most exciting new venue for chamber music. CMS presents chamber music of every instrumentation, style, and historical period in its extensive concert season in New York, its national tours, and its many recordings and national radio broadcasts. In Asheville, this February, the visiting Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will be performing Vienna to Hollywood, a program featuring the music of Schubert and classical film composer Korngold. “The Asheville Chamber Music Series is delighted to be welcoming the touring ensemble of our presenting colleagues from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center as part of our 2017-18 season,” says Nathan Shirley, ACMS administrative ‘CMS’ continued pg. 31


CONTENTS 6 7 8 12 15 9 10 11 14 19 21 22

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Volume 21, NO. 6

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Detail of the beautiful artwork “Sea (C),” by Ana J Blanton Asheville Symphony on a Musical Tour of Scotland February 10 Artists Breakfasts Draw Crowds Diana Wortham Theatre Presents “The Trocks”—the famed Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Tapestry Weavers return South to Asheville’s Folk Art Center

16 20 28

Jeeves and Bertie return to NC Stage with ‘Jeeves Takes a Bow’ Local Teri Leigh Teed selected for international art show

Cover Photo titled ‘On the Prowl’ original work by Zoe Schumaker now showing at Asheville Gallery of Art.

www.rapidrivermagazine.com Online NOW

Creative great gift ideas for this Valentine’s Day at Raven & Crone

Grovewood Gallery has two art offerings for February

Art Talk: ‘Find Your Center’ Works by Patricia Hargrove 310 Art: Abstract Art – Food for Your Brain

Art Classes Asheville Gallery of Art: “Inspired by Nature” Ana Blanton and Zoe Schumaker Food/Drink: ‘New restaurant, familiar faces, Firefly opens in downtown Waynesville Bill Walz: Meditate, meditate, meditate Art WNC: New Deal post office murals in WNC

Publisher/Layout and Design/Editor: Dennis Ray Poetry Editor: Carol Pearce Bjorlie CONTACT US: Rapid River’s Arts and Culture Magazine is a monthly publication in WNC. Mail: 85 N. Main St. Canton NC 28716 Email: Info@rapidrivermagazine.com Phone: (828) 646-0071

23 24 25 26 30 31

20

Performing Arts: AmiciMusic “Songs of Love” Soprano Simone Vigilante March 1-4 Poetry Books: Kristin Hannah comes to Malaprop’s Feb. 16; ‘These Trees’ is a veritable Valentine Black Mountain: Zoe & Cloyd Warm Hearts this Feb 10 Rapid River Magazine’s Comics The French Connection Masterwork Performance at the FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE THEATRE

NEXT MONTH

COLUMNS / DEPARTMENTS

ART AND MORE FEATURES

February 2018

ON OUR COVER

*Red Performing Arts Guide

Distribution: Dennis Ray/Rick Hills Marketing: Dennis Ray/Rick Hills

ADVERTISING SALES: Downtown Asheville and other areas — Dennis Ray (828) 712-4752 • (828) 646-0071 Dining Guide, Hendersonville, Waynesville — Rick Hills (828) 452-0228 rick@rapidrivermagazine.com

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MARCH: ART AND ARTIST SPECIAL ISSUE. CATCHING UP WITH OUR LOCAL ART SCENE

All Materials contained herein are owned and copyrighted © by Rapid River’s Arts & Culture Magazine and the individual contributors unless otherwise stated. Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rapid River’s Arts and Culture Magazine or the advertisers herein. © ‘Rapid River’s Arts & Culture Magazine’ February 2018, Vol. 21, No. 6

Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 5


PERFORMING ARTS

30th annual HAve-a-hEART

Asheville Symphony on a Musical Tour of Scotland February 10

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By Staff Reports

Conductor Garry Walker Leads the Asheville Symphony on a Musical Tour of Scotland February 10 Guest soloist Elena Urioste to perform Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1

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Conductor Garry Walker wears his Scottish nationality with pride. “As a Scot, I am naturally aware and proud of the impact of the Scottish diaspora in America. Even Uncle Sam’s parents were Scottish, and Mickey Mouse was voiced for 40 years by a man from Dundee!” To celebrate his homeland and its historical connections to the North Carolina mountains, Walker presents a program of Scotland-themed classical works on Saturday, February 10 as he conducts his audition concert for the Asheville Symphony’s music director position. The program includes Malcolm Arnold’s Four Scottish Dances, Debussy’s Marche ecossaise (Scottish march), Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with guest violinist Elena Urioste, and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3, known as “the Scottish.” The concert takes place at 8 p.m. in downtown Asheville’s Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Walker is the third of six finalists for the Asheville Symphony’s music

Elena Urioste Photo by Alessandra Tinozzi director position to conduct an audition concert. The audience will be asked to give feedback via a survey after the show. The three remaining finalists will hold concerts in March, April, and May. Malcolm Arnold’s 1957 composition Four Scottish Dances opens the evening’s program. Originally composed for the BBC Light Music Festival, the music firmly suggests Scottish folk song origins. However, three of the dances are Arnold’s original tunes, and the fourth is based on a melody composed by Scottish poet Robert Burns. Following Arnold is Debussy’s Marche écossaise or Scottish March, which was a commissioned piece for a Scottish officer. Though

6 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018

markedly Scottish, the work also includes some of Debussy’s own French musical style. His Scottish theme uses an oboe and muted trumpet to imitate the sound of bagpipes. Next guest soloist Elena Urioste joins the symphony for Bruch’s rich and seductive Violin Concerto No. 1. While Bruch was not Scottish, his interest in Scotland ran deep—one of the works for which he is best known is the Scottish Fantasy for violin and orchestra. URIOSTE, hailed by The Washington Post as “a drop-dead beauty who plays with equal parts passion, sensuality, brains, and humor,” was a BBC New Generation Artist from 2012 ‘ASO’ continued next pg.


Artists Breakfasts Draw Crowds Artists, collectors and patrons are gathering in Asheville’s River Arts District for monthly socials. Artists’ Breakfasts are held on the last Thursday of each month. Up next: February 22, 10-1pm at 362 Depot. Organizer Richard Baker of Richard Baker Studios says he is pleased with the turnouts for the first two events. “It’s good to see the artists networking. And it’s also nice to meet Asheville’s art patrons.” Many of the 10 artists of 362 Depot are on hand to talk to those who attend for the

By Staff Reports

camaraderie and food and to see new works. “People are coming in,” Baker says, “meeting the artists and purchasing artwork.” Coffee is provided and guests are welcome to bring food to share. Recent events have drawn attendees from Asheville and points beyond including Saluda, Hendersonville, Waynesville and Weaverville. IF YOU GO

For more information, follow 362 Depot and Richard Baker on Facebook or call (828) 234-1616.

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‘ASO’ continued

depending on seating section (reduced youth pricing is available). Individual tickets and season to 2014 and a first-place laureate in both the ticket packages can be purchased Junior and Senior divisions of the online at ashevillesymphony.org, by Sphinx Competition. She has given phone at (828) 254-7046, or in person acclaimed performances with major at the U.S. Cellular Center box office at orchestras throughout the United 87 Haywood Street. States and abroad. Urioste made The Asheville Symphony Orchestra her debut at Carnegie Hall’s Isaac performs and promotes symphonic Stern Auditorium in 2004 and had music for the benefit, enjoyment, and frequently returned as soloist. She education of the people of Western is also the co-founder and artistic director of Intermission Sessions & Garry Walker North Carolina. The ASO presents Photo by Jack Liebeck concerts in the 2,300-seat Thomas Retreat, a new program that comWolfe Auditorium in Asheville’s U.S. bines music and yoga. The final work of the evening is Mendelssohn’s Cellular Center. Related organizations include the Asheville Symphony Guild, Asheville Symphony Symphony No. 3, known as the Scottish Symphony. Mendelssohn came from a wealthy family Chorus, Asheville Symphonettes, and education initiatives such as the Asheville Symphony Youth and as a young man was able to tour Western Orchestra, Music in the Schools, Spotlight on Europe, including a visit to Scotland in 1829. Young Musicians, Symphony Talks, and pre-conIt was during this stay that he was inspired to write both his famous Hebrides Overture and the cert lectures. Scottish Symphony. The symphony evokes the Masterworks 4: “Scot Free” wild landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, pulls IF YOU Saturday, February 10, 8 p.m. in the light sounds of Scottish folk songs, and GO Thomas Wolfe Auditorium • (828) 254-7046 ultimately concludes with high optimism. ashevillesymphony.org Single tickets for all concerts are $24-69,

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Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 7


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As a company of professional male dancers who perform the full range of the ballet and modern dance repertoire, The Trocks achieve comedy by incorporating and exaggerating the foibles, accidents, and underlying incongruities of serious dance. Photo by Sascha Vaughan

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Diana Wortham Theatre Presents “The Trocks”—the famed Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

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Donning tutus, pointe shoes and false eyelashes, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, or “The Trocks” as adoring fans call them, perform their classical ballet repertoire with athletic artistry, grace, and technical expertise at Diana Wortham Theatre on Tuesday, Feb. 13 and Wednesday, Feb. 14, 8 pm.

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As a company of professional male dancers who perform the full range of the ballet and modern dance repertoire, The Trocks achieve comedy by incorporating and exaggerating the foibles, accidents, and underlying incongruities of serious dance. The fact that men dance all the parts—heavy bodies delicately balancing on toes as swans, sylphs, water sprites, romantic princesses, angst-ridden Victorian ladies—enhances rather than mocks the spirit of dance as an art form, delighting and amusing the most knowledgeable, as well as novices, in its audiences. The ballet begins with the company’s signature work, Le Lac Des Cygnes (Swan Lake, Act II - Tchaikovsky),

8 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018

then a work to be announced the evening of the show, followed by Go For Barocco (J.S. Bach), and concluding with Paquita to music by Ludwig Minkus. Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo got their start performing in the late-late shows in Off-Off Broadway. By mid-1975, The Trocks’ loving knowledge of dance, comic approach, and commitment to the notion that men can, indeed, dance en pointe without falling flat on their faces, was already garnering attention beyond the company’s New York home. They have now seen attention from publications such as Variety, Oui, The London Daily Telegraph, and a photo essay in Vogue, that secured the company’s national and international popularity. Their numerous tours have been both popular and critical successes; their frenzied annual schedule has included appearances in over 35 countries and over 600 cities worldwide since their founding in 1974, including seasons at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow and the Chatelet Theater in Paris. The company continues ‘Dance’ continued on pg. 29


ART WORK

All paintings by Patricia Hargrove

‘Find Your Center’ Works by Patricia Hargrove Find your center in our beautiful western North Carolina Mountains! Inspiration abounds when you get outside to take in the views. This landscape is called “Our Southern Highlands” as a tip of the hat to the writer Horace Kephart who wrote about these mountains in the early 1900s and was instrumental in the preservation of these hills for our generation and those to come. Find your center in the stillness and quiet of meditation. Find your center in that unconditional love from pets! Inspiration abounds with that give and takes with our beloved pets. Find your center in the beauty of childhood. Inspiration abounds from the joys of watching children grow, children’s eagerness and openness to the world around them and the love children can’t help but express their playfulness. Patricia Hargrove The Wedge Building, Studio 2B3 129 Roberts Street Asheville, NC (828) 275.9670 • patriciahargrove.com

IF YOU GO

Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 9


310 ART

Jane Molinelli ‘Blue Tango’ oil and cold wax on board 20 x 20 inches.

Abstract Art – Food for Your Brain By Jane Molinelli, Cindy Walton, and Fleta Monaghan

Everyone takes away a different and personal story when looking at abstract art.

Cindy Walton, a well known abstract artist, describes her thoughts on her art. “My goal is to paint the essence or soul of the landscape. I might see the cooling water of the fresh water springs of my first home and viewers see snow drifts or other places that they have experienced.” Abstract art was a revolution in modern art and is thriving and evolving even today. Living with abstract art has benefits that may seem mysterious to some, but are now widely discussed and pondered upon. Eric Kandel, a Nobel Prizewinning neuroscientist, has even written a book explaining the mental 10 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018

stimulation that abstract or minimal art can induce. He calls this “topdown thinking,” and it can improve and enhance our mental capacity as well as our peace of mind. In this age of self-improvement, it is surprising that we do not focus on what is on the walls of our home and places of business. By choosing abstract art, we both exercise and calm our brains and emotions. Abstract artists know all about this through their practice of creating art. The artist is usually on a mission to share the unique life-enhancing qualities living with abstract art brings to the individual whether they understand the brain science of it or not. One collector noted she “loved the painting she had purchased ‘Art’ continued next pg.


Shop, Eat, Explore. . . Everyday, All Year Round Classes at 310 ART

(L-r) Erin Keane’s ‘Borrowed Scenery’ and ‘Rugged-Landscape Cindy Walton 12x12 oil and cold wax on panel

‘Art’ continued for the unpredictable color and mark making. It is a stepping off place for conversation and reflection.” Kandel says that abstract art allows us to distill and simplify the many visual complexities we encounter every moment. While realistic technique will enable us to identify and categorize much in the way we navigate the real world, with abstraction we are challenged to formulate our interpretations. “It is rather the way newborns process the world,” Fleta Monaghan

speculates. It can be daunting at first to look at basic shapes, colors, textures, and shades and create our imaginings of what it might be and mean. But, it is also stimulating and meditative. These basics forms are clues to lead the viewer down their imaginative path. (Reductionism in Art and Brain Science: Bridging the Two Cultures. By Eric Kandel) Jane Molinelli, whose abstract works are both expressive and colorful, hears many comments from visitors to her studio at 310 ART in the River ‘Art’ continued on pg. 29

310 ART AT RIVERVIEW STATION

Marvelous Mondays with Lorelle and Nadine Beginner and Up! Open art studios Mondays with instructor to guide you - start and continue year round in our Monday classes, 9:30-12:30pm and 1-4pm. Come the dates that work for you! NEW: Watercolor Wednesday Evenings, all levels, 6-9pm See 310art.com for schedule and sign up. Beginners welcomed!

Workshops: Coming Soon

Beginning Painting, Feb 3 Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, watercolor, Feb 15 Block Printing, Feb 17 Encaustic One Day, Feb 24 Waxagrams Encaustic, March 3,4 Easy Portrait Painting, March 10, 11 Evening Collage Playshop, March 6, 15 Demystifying Watercolor, March 17 Classes for adults at 310 ART, 191 Lyman Street, #310, Asheville, NC 28801 www.310art.com gallery@310art.com (828)776-2716 Adult classes, beginner and up, most materials provided. Register online or at the studio. Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 11


FINE ART

Woven Tapestry by Sandy Adair, “Summer at Bass Lake”

Tapestry Weavers return South to Asheville’s Folk Art Center By Staff Reports Returning to the Folk Art Center’s main gallery, Tapestry Weavers South is now exhibiting over fifty handcrafted, fiber pieces to the public. The show features 27 weavers, three of which are members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild – Tommye Scanlin, Pat Williams and Sandy Adair. Since 2007, the Guild has fostered a close relationship with the organization in support of

their mission to cultivate the crafts and makers of the Southern Highlands. This is the third show with Tapestry Weavers South (TWS). A southeastern organization founded in 1996 by 18 weavers, TWS encourages and promotes tapestry among its members, and educates the public about weaving as an art form. The membership covers a diverse design aesthetic with both abstract and figurative textiles.

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” —Aristotle 12 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018


FINE ART

Woven Tapestry by Nancy Garretson, “Mountain Stream”

Tapestry weaving itself is one of the oldest forms of woven textiles and the principal way of creating a picture through weaving. This differs from the traditional style of weaving that is a weftfaced textile. The natural, strong warp is entirely covered by the colored yarn of the weft. Tapestries of old were created by several weavers working together on the same cloth, with a separate artist creating the design. Contemporary tapestries, like ones seen in this exhibition, are created entirely by the same person, requiring several skills to accomplish and just as time-consuming. These include drawing/computer graphics for designing, to the color skills and choice of yarns, and finally to the technical weaving to create the actual tapestry. Tapestry Weavers South displays the following fiber makers and their work in the Folk Art Center exhibition: Sandy Adair, Jean Clark, Nancy Duggar, Michelle Elliot, Nancy Garretson, Barbara Gilmore, Joan Griffin, Gail Griffith, Louise Halsey, Betty Hilton Nash, Connie Lippert, Mary Jane Lord, Lynne Mayne, Sidsel Moreb, Laurie O’Neill, April Carter Price, Christina Rasmussen, Jennifer Sargent, Dorina Scalia, Tommye Scanlin, Rosemary Smith, Rebecca Stevens, Sarah Thomsen, Linda Weghorst, Holly Wilkes, and Pat Williams. Admission to the Folk Art Center is free. The

(Detail) Woven Tapestry by Jennifer Sargent, “Rumors”

Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in east Asheville. Headquarters to the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the Center also houses three galleries, a library, a craft shop and a Blue Ridge Parkway information desk and bookstore. The Folk Art Center Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in east Asheville, just north of the Hwy 70. For more information, call (828( 298-7928 or visit www.craftguild.org. IF YOU GO

Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 13


Asheville’s Longest Established Fine Art Gallery with 31 Regional Artists

Asheville Gallery of Art 's February Artists

“Sea (C),” by Ana J Blanton

“Inspired by Nature” Ana Blanton and Zoe Schumaker Asheville Gallery of Art’s February show features the work of two new members, Ana Blanton and Zoe Schumaker. Though they paint in two different styles and mediums, the artists’ work represents the inspiration each derives from nature. “When I process ideas, I see them as layers of images rather than words, and as my thoughts become imagery, I feel more comfortable expressing myself through abstract form,” says Ana Blanton. Of her latest series of mixed-media paintings she says, “In this series, I am more interested in representing the sense and feel of light in nature. It is about exploring the sense of energy and movement that is unique to light traveling through air, water, and objects in nature or simple still life.” Blanton, who has lived in Asheville since 1997,

has a BA in Art Studio from Mars Hill University. She studied Art Conservation at University of Madrid, Spain, and mural painting and mural Conservation at the International School of Mural Painting Miguel Farre, Barcelona, Spain. Zoe Schumaker says, “From an early age, I tried to capture the beauty I saw by drawing and photographing my surroundings.” Raised in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California, the artist spent many afternoons immersed in original drawings of the mountains, lakes and forests, and the animals that live there. Schumaker rediscovered her passion for painting upon moving to the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2005. “As I explored the area, I started bringing my backpack kit of pastels. It was not long before I decided to pursue art full time.” The artist teaches painting at the John C. Campbell Folk School and is active in several regional en-

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vironmental non-profits. She frequently donates her work to support these causes. “Nature is my muse. I hope my paintings capture the joy and reverence I feel for our beautiful home.” The featured works by Blanton and Schumaker, as well as the paintings of the other 29 gallery members will be on display and for sale through February. For further information about this show, you can contact Asheville Gallery of Art at (828) 251-5796, visit the gallery website at www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com, or go to the gallery Facebook page. The show runs February 1-28 during gallery hours, 11-6pm Monday through Saturday and 1-4 pm Sunday. The gallery, located at 82 Patton Avenue in Asheville, across from Pritchard Park, will host a reception for the artists on Friday, February 2, from 5-8 pm. Everyone is cordially invited to stop by.

IF YOU GO


FINE ART

(L-r) Pamella O’Connor will be demonstrating paper gathering techniques used to create texture on her signature line of hanji flower lamps. Brandy Clements will be demonstrating authentic cattail rush weaving

Grovewood Gallery has two art offerings for February

By Staff Reports

In conjunction with the National Arts and Crafts Conference this February at The Omni Grove Park Inn, Grovewood Gallery in Asheville will be hosting craft demonstrations by two local artists:

Pamella O’Connor of Hanji Home Brandy Clements of Silver River Center for Chair Caning. and

On February 16-18, Brandy Clements will be

demonstrating authentic cattail rush weaving on a chair seat designed by Brian Brace Fine Furniture. This style of weaving dates back thousands of years to ancient Egypt and can be found on classic Gustav Stickley chair seats. Clements is a 4th generation chair caner and self-proclaimed “chair nerd” on a mission to dispel the myth that chair seat weaving is a lost art. She and her husband/business partner

Dave Klingler have been weaving new lives into chairs for over 12 years, and have taught over 100 sessions at their school, offering classes on laced and pressed caning as well as splint, rush, and Shaker tape weaving. This year marks Silver River’s 4th anniversary as the nation’s only fully dedicated chair caning school and museum. The school is also an official education center of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. ‘Govewood’ continued on pg. 27

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More of what Makes Asheville Special: Dining • Shopping • Galleries • Music

D ow n tow n A s h ev i l l e

Jeeves and Bertie return to NC Stage with ‘Jeeves Takes a Bow’

but, with his loyal manservant

Jeeves around, it never goes quite the way he intends.

its own set of built-in fans. In fact, P.G. Wodehouse Societies exist all over the world, created by 1. AMERICAN FOLK ART & FRAMING fans.” 2. APPALACHIAN CRAFT CENTER 3. ARIEL GALLERY In 2016, NC Stage 4. ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 5. ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM debuted its first Jeeves 6. ASHEVILLE GALLERY OF ART 7. aSHEville MUSEUM adaptation, Jeeves 8. BENDER GALLERY 9. BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE Intervenes, in which the

10. BLUE SPIRAL 1 19. THE SATELLITE GALLERY 11. THE CENTER FOR CRAFT, 20. SUSAN MARIE DESIGNS CREATIVITY & DESIGN 21. TRACEY MORGAN GALLERY 12. CONTEMPORANEO ASHEVILLE 22. VAN DYKE JEWELRY & 13. THE HAEN GALLERY FINE CRAFTS 14. HORSE + HERO 23. WOOLWORTH WALK 15. JEWELS THAT DANCE 24. ZAPOW! 16. LEXINGTON GLASSWORKS I - 240 25. ZEST JEWELRY ART 17. MORA 18. MOUNTAIN MADE DOWNTOWNASHEVILLEARTDISTRICT.ORG

Haywood

MUSEUM + ARTS CENTER

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The start of 2018 at North Carolina Stage Company brings a crowd-favorite back to the stage, with high hopes to entertain audiences downtown. The production, the theater’s third installment of the comedy series, is based on P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves stories, adapted by playwright Margaret Raether. “People love these stories for the same reason that Downton Abbey is so popular. It’s just traditional English drawing room humor,” says NC Stage Executive Director Steve Hageman. “P.G. Wodehouse was such a prolific writer, and his work has

N. Spruce

cooking up some master scheme,

cast transports the audience back to 1920s London for a night of deception and disguise. The plan, cooked up by the endlessly wealthy Wooster, goes awry — and it’s up to Jeeves to save the day. Then, in 2017, Jeeves set the record straight once again in Jeeves in Bloom, while accompanying his employer on a not-so-relaxing countryside vacation — which resulted in attempted burglaries and plots for revenge. In the latest production, Jeeves Takes a Bow, directed by Angie Flynn-

Merrimon

High-society hapless hero Bertie Wooster is always

By Staff Reports

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Downtown Asheville — Dining • Shopping • Galleries • Music McIver and starring the original Asheville cast of Michael MacCauley and Scott Treadway, Wooster and Jeeves are at it again, this time from across the pond in New York City, where the duo take on the mob in an especially troublesome fashion. “Missed the first two?” Hageman says. “No worries,” “Each story is very separate and stands on its own, the way that Sherlock Holmes stories each stand on their own,” he explains. “Each show is different. It’s a big cast of six characters — our biggest cast of the season — and (the cast) all have such a wonderful time with these productions. It’s like bringing the family back together.” Each year that Jeeves takes the stage in downtown Asheville,

he (and the rest of the cast and crew) are met with sold-out performances night after night. Last year, NC Stage even extended the run for Jeeves In Bloom based on its overwhelming popularity — and the 2018 installment may just break the previous box office attendance. “As we were reading the play, we were starting to think

that this may be one of the funniest that we’ve read,” Hageman says. “Jeeves and Bertie are out of their natural environment, and that adds another humorous element to it. They get involved in a Broadway production, and there’s a case of mistaken identities — gangsters, showgirls. It’s a lot of fun.” Can Jeeves take on the New York mob? For Wooster’s sake, we sure hope so. “There’s just something for everybody in this type of (family-friendly) humor,” Hageman explains. Jeeves Takes a Bow North Carolina Stage Company 15 Stage Lane, Asheville Jan. 24-Feb. 18; Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. Visit ncstage.org for tickets pricing IF YOU GO

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Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 17


D r i n k s & D i n i n g G u i d e

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” ― Virginia Woolf, ‘A Room of One’s Own’

18 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018


Drinks&Dining Guide

New restaurant, familiar faces, Firefly opens in downtown Waynesville Blossom on Main, the favorite downtown Thai food restaurant has closed it’s doors and has re-branded as Firefly Taps and Grill. The restaurant re-opened on January 25 to a packed house. The new menu became an instant hit with diners and the local beer added just the right downtown vibe. When asked about the type of food Firefly serves, co-owner, Julie Katt says, “We originally

thought Southern Comfort food, but we are so much more. We have Southern food and comfort food but also vegetarian and vegan items, as well as a few items from our Thai menu. It is eclectic but mostly simple, delicious food at a great price in a fun atmosphere.” Firefly kept the same chef and her team in the kitchen and all the familiar faces out front. Katt says, “We hope to have the locals come downtown for a simple, yummy meal, and feel at

home. February is love the locals month so for that we will have specials all month for locals. Besides local craft beer on draft, we serve bottled domestic beers, and a great wine selection. We also added Waynesville Soda Jerks to our menu. There are a lot of flavors.” Co-Owner Keith Cipielewski says, “We’re appealing to a much larger audience now with our new menu. Hopefully, the locals will embrace us and feel comfortable visiting us often for

By Staff Reports

really great food.” Friday night, January 26, every table was filled from 5:30 to just after nine. The service was great, and the food was fantastic. Waynesville has a new hot spot to dine at. Firefly Taps & Grill 128 N. Main Street Waynesville, NC (828) 454-5400 • fireflytapsandgrill.com

IF YOU GO

Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 19


FINE ART

Local Teri Leigh Teed selected for international art show By Staff Reports

Renee Phillips states, “The jurying process was selected as a featured extremely challenging artist for Manhattan Arts due to the outstanding International’s third annual quality of entries received “New Beginnings” exhibition, from artists worldwide.” which runs from January 20 – A native of Columbia, March 20 online at SC, Teed is a multiwww.manhattanarts.com. dimensional, awardTeed’s fine art photograph, winning artist based “Beginning of Fall,” was given an in the Blue Ridge Award of Excellence. Mountains of WNC near Based in New York, NY, Sylva. Along with her leading art capital of the visual artwork, Teed is world, Manhattan Arts also a songwriter of folk International has been a leading music and the author of ‘Beginning of Fall, Nantahala Forest’ advocate for under-recognized by Teri Leigh Teed Seasons of the South, and accomplished artists the Original Homegrown from around the world. Renee and Musical Storytelling Phillips, founder, and director of Manhattan Arts Show, which raises awareness for regenerative International created the website in 2000 and agriculture. had been dedicated to promoting and rewarding “Healing Spirit Art©” has been the name of artistic excellence in all styles and mediums. Teed’s artwork since 2005. She blends fine art The artists selected for this exhibition reflect the nature and landscape photography, stories, notion of “New Beginnings” with artistic originality poetry, and songs with positive, inspirational and and proficiency in their styles and mediums. healing thoughts and energies. Her logo features Teri Leigh Teed has been

20 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018

a mountain laurel branch, which represents her love for the western North Carolina mountains she calls home. To join the community of Love, Peace, and Goodwill and share #HealingSpiritArt with the world, please visit www.terileighteed.com ABOUT TERI LEIGH TEED Teri Leigh Teed is a featured artist (photography, literature, and music) in the NC Artist Council and her photography is featured in numerous publications including the Editor’s Picks on BlueRidgeParkwayDaily.com. A graduate of Sotheby’s Institute, London, Teri received her M.A. Decorative Arts and Historic Interiors from the University of Buckingham, England and was employed by HM Queen Elizabeth II. Her artwork has been exhibited in juried shows in NC and SC, including the Piccolo Spoleto Festival and the Smoky Mountains Sampler exhibition, and she is a recipient of Awards of Excellence in Manhattan Arts International juried exhibitions. A Featured Artist in the Manhattan Arts International programs, she is also a contributing author and artist for the Healing Power of Art and Artists online magazine. IF YOU GO


MEDITATE, MEDITATE, MEDITATE “The purpose of meditation is to make our mind

calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort, and so we will experience true happiness.

But if our mind is not

peaceful, we will find it very difficult to be happy, even if we are living in the very best conditions.”

Gyatso, Tibetan meditation master

— Kelsang

I used to be a practicing clinical psychologist. I became a practitioner of deep meditation twenty-five years ago and a teacher twenty years ago because I became convinced that what I sought in the study of psychology, the realization of the real human potential for mental health, is only accessible through meditation and the path of wisdom that naturally flows from reflection taken to deep levels. As a mental health professional, I found it tragic and telling that Western psychology has no model of psychological health. Instead, it offers a categorization of the varieties of mental illness and some theoretical models as to how to address them, none with any consistent success. It settles for allowing psychological health to be defined as a relative absence of debilitating symptoms of mental illness, and to me, this is not good enough. It always seemed that rather than an approach that sought to minimize and control the symptoms of mental illness, if we had a positive direction in which to move that took us to mental health, the signs would naturally fall away, for they are, in actuality, only defenses against the misalignment of our distorted, neurotic perspectives placing us at odds with life-as-it-is. Much as it is with physical health, where we are much less likely to fall ill if we keep the body well-tuned through exercise and diet, so too it is with the mind. If we have a methodology for maintaining a state of true mental health, the problems of the mind have nowhere to take root. I have found meditation to be that methodology proven over thousands of years – yet largely ignored in Western culture and psychology. Meditation is understood in Buddhist culture to be the practice of training the mind in concentration, peacefulness, insight, wisdom and what is called “vastness,” the realization of our true source and identity arising within the vastness of the Universe, a kind of “cosmic consciousness.” This happens by awakening the practitioner to the dimension of mind that is awareness, that which observes the activity and content of the mind – the thoughts and emotions – yet is not caught in the turbulence of the thoughts and feelings. A gradual dawning occurs that this dimension of awareness is the real source of intelligence and insight - capable of seeing how imbalanced and unreliable the transient thoughts and emotions are. The identity that had been trapped in thoughts and feelings begins to shift into awareness, bringing with it a great liberation from the disturbances of the mind. We realize we are not the thoughts and emotions, but rather that which is witness to the feelings and emotions that have their origin in psychological and social conditioning; therefore, there is no need to be defensive or to identify with them. They will lose the energy identification and begin to be readily available to modification as our more explicit experience of reality-

ZEN PHILOSOPHY WITH BILL WALZ

as-it-is strengthens. Western culture and psychology certainly have no equivalence to this harmonization of the psychological with the philosophical, spiritual and even cosmological in a way that has the potential to generate the sizeable relaxed presence, insight, balance, and even joy that has to be the hallmark of real mental health and sanity. Through deep meditation practice there becomes increasingly accessible the ability to maintain our sense of well-being, perspective and calm, even while the events and circumstances around us – and even those events in our minds, the thoughts and emotions - may be tumultuous and even threatening. Western psychology has been very good at understanding that non-biological mental illness is the result of a poorly developed ego, the psychological sense of self-relating to others and events, and that a poorly prepared ego creates grave distortions in a person’s experience that then manifest in excessive anxiety, depression or anger, as well as in confused thinking and unskillful and interpersonally problematic behavior. This is a very valuable observation, and Western psychology has pretty much placed its eggs in the basket of ego psychology along with symptommanaging medication in working with these distortions. In this model, the therapist acts as a neutral witness as the client relates their experience, and the therapist helps the client toward insights into ways to not be so carried away by these distortions. This is good, but quite limited, for it is dependent on the therapist AND on the therapist being a truly wise, authentic and insightful seer and interpreter. Tellingly, only European culture (and modernized, Europeanized cultures) have a study and practice of psychology. In traditional and aboriginal cultures, the role that psychology plays in modern societies is filled by spirituality and its practitioners - priests, monks and shamans with accompanying meditative practices. Now, given this, it might seem that modern cultures would have less of a problem with mental illness, when, in fact, it has a considerably more significant problem with it. A telling anecdote about the Dalai Lama has it that on one of his first visits to America, he was attending a convention of psychologists where the topic was the problem of disturbances of self-esteem - either low self-esteem or its opposite in narcissism. The Dalai Lama found the issue quite confusing, and after he fully grasped what was being discussed, shared that while the people of Tibet live without all the material and medical benefits of the West, problems of self-esteem are unheard of in this traditional spirituality-based culture. It is essential for us to ask why this should be. The problem with a modern culture that leads to what amounts to an epidemic of mental illness is the same problem that limits psychology - the placing of the ego in supremacy as a person’s identity. Modern psychology and culture have a one dimensional model of mind – telling us that ego is who we are while ignoring the realm of awareness completely. There is a lack of recognition of knowledge as the guiding and mediating dimension of mind - that which we must most fundamentally be - for it is awareness that observes the activity of the brain and all of our

experience in the world, and without this perspective, we are left as prisoners of the chaotic realms of thought and emotion. Psychology seeks to bring the awareness of the therapist to the task of insight, but this is wholly insufficient and strangely has never made the connection that effective therapy is based in the clarity of the therapist’s awareness – that it is an awareness that is the insightful healing faculty. What the practice of meditation proves is that if a person can be trained in focusing into explicit knowledge, they can do for themselves what the best therapist can do, and do it more efficiently, because it is their awareness, and it is always there as a witness to the machinations of mind. No appointment needed. Buddhism understands thoroughly why modern culture and psychology wrestle so with mental illness because Buddhism recognizes human egoic separateness and the compulsion to cling to identity in separateness as the source of human suffering (the Buddhist term that can be viewed as equivalent to mental illness). This character in separateness, in ego, with all its insecurities and attempts to assuage uncertainties brought on by attachment to the material and individual and collective importance, is the hell, the insanity, humans create for themselves and others. As a curative, meditation is training in the steady application of awareness in compassionate and insightful observation of the chattering and insecure egoic dimension of mind bringing about an amelioration of these insecurities through ever deepening insights into their origin in psycho-social conditioning and the discovery of an inner silence, peace and balance beneath the noise and activity of the mind. This inner quiet reflect and makes real for us the symmetry and perfection of our true and most profound nature reflective of the balance and perfection of the natural world. We experience that as our practice steadies and deepens, we learn to exist increasingly within and as this realm of peaceful and insightful witnessing awareness with the result being a gradual awakening of a profound sense of calm and insightful clarity. Ego assumes its appropriate role as a faculty for discerning and working with separateness while relinquishing its mistaken assertion as being who we are. From a psychological standpoint, what is being achieved is real and profound sanity, and if this rationality is what you are looking for, my suggestion is merely this: meditate, meditate, meditate.

Bill Walz has taught meditation and mindfulness in university and public forums and is a private-practice meditation teacher and guide for individuals in mindfulness, personal growth and consciousness. Information on classes, talks, personal growth and healing instruction, or phone consultations at (828)258-3241, e-mail at healing@billwalz. com Learn more, see past columns, video and audio programs at www.billwalz.com

Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 21


ART WNC New Deal post office murals in WNC By Staff Reports

The federal government created over 5,000 jobs for artists during America’s Great Depression in the 1930’s and early 40’s. These “New Deal” artists produced over 225,000 works of art in post offices throughout the US. These large works depicted enduring images of “American Life.” Sadly, many of these American works of art have been lost, stolen or destroyed. In Concord, NC “The Spirit of North Carolina” mural was destroyed when the post office was torn down to build a new one. These precious images of our American way of life have become few and far between. The good news is that there are some of the New Deal murals still left here in WNC. In Brevard, the “Good News” glazed tempera mural has been moved from the post office to the Transylvania Library. In Belmont, the oil on canvas mural “Major William’s South Fork Boys” is still in the post office, which is now being used as the Belmont City Hall. Canton’s “Paper” mural is a Terra-cotta seven reliefs mural. Gastonia’s “Cotton Field and Spinning Mill” oil on canvas mural is still in their post office. Morganton and Lincolnton still have their post office murals intact and restored. King’s Mountain’s “Battle of King’s Mountain” mural is still intact. Forest City has a plaster relief mural entitled “Rural Delivery.” The Boone New Deal mural “Daniel Boone on a Hunting Trip” has been restored and is now featured on the Appalachian Mural Trail, so it’s original intent can continue to be viewed by everyone.

As in these purely American New Deal murals, storytelling is a vivid part of the mural art, and stories are handed down, drifting through many generations. Today the Mural Movement has started an even more colorful way of passing our tall tales to future generations: historical public mural art. Magnificent murals speak of life here in Appalachia as they shine a light on mountain heritage and creativity. The Appalachian Mural Trail has been developed as a way to document and share these significant works of art with the world. After ten years of research, the Appalachian Mural Trail came alive in 2017 at the hands of Jerry and Doreyl Ammons Cain. The project has now blossomed into a viable, expanding success with 45 North Carolina historical murals on the trail. “People enjoy the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains through experiencing nature on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Now visitors can learn more about our mountain ways as they travel into the towns and communities on a mural quest, a cultural treasure hunt,” says Doreyl Ammons Cain, mural trail Director. “We are inspiring small Appalachian communities to create their own high-quality heritage murals; painting folk tales, Cherokee legends, mountain music and the beauty of the land. These murals are placed on an interactive website, muraltrail.com where visitors can select and create a personalized mural trail route with driving time & directions. Most murals are within driving distance of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and directions are

Daniel Boone on a Hunting Trip based on Parkway mile markers. The Appalachian Mural Trail is designed to help the mountain economy by drawing Parkway visitors into the small, quaint mountain towns where they can dine and find lodging.” Currently, there are two mural maps on muraltrail.com, NC, and Virginia. The mural trail project started in NC and is now moving into Virginia where small towns like Stuart, VA are already painting their town mural to be placed on the Appalachian Mural Trail. The Appalachian Mural Trail is a partner with the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and also is a member of the Blue Ridge Parkway Association. The Smoky Mountain Host, the High Country Host, and the Blue Ridge Mountain Host are marketing organizations that list the Appalachian Mural Trail, promoting the trail to visitors throughout the mountain area and on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Both NC and VA Welcome Centers are distributing mural trail rack cards. Other marketing includes press releases for local, regional, national and international media. Dedication events for adding each mural to the mural trail are highly promoted through all the media. “We invite areas who already have murals to sign up. Simply go

22 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018

to www.muraltrail.com and select ‘membership’ and fill out a simple submit form,” says Cain. The primary “gateway cities” are the portals by which the Blue Ridge Parkway travelers usually enter by air from great distances. These gateway cities have excellent potential for significant tourism numbers from these Parkway bound travelers. The Blue Ridge Parkway sees 16 to 18 million visitors a year. The Appalachian Mural Trail’s new website www.muralspotting.com is now available to upload pictures of varieties of murals in any location in the US or around the world. Once your photo is uploaded, you can also post your reactions to the mural art. “We are especially interested in the WPA New Deal murals that were painted in the 1930s and 40s and placed in post offices throughout the country,” Cain continues. “There are still a few of the New Deal murals in the Appalachian Mountains. We’re hoping to recognize these parts of our history in a new way. Our precious mountain heritage and it’s amazing stories need to be shared with the world, thereby uplifting the way we see each other and telling the truth of who we are; talented, creative folk who love to tell a good story.”


PERFORMING ARTS THIS FEBRUARY AmiciMusic “Songs of Love” Soprano Simone Vigilante March 1-4 Concerts in Asheville, Hendersonville, Biltmore Forest, and Saluda

By Staff Reports AmiciMusic, the awardVigilante has also been soloist winning chamber music with Asheville Village String organization dedicated to Quartet, Allegro Music, the performing intimate concerts Asheville String Trio, the in non-traditional venues, Asheville Symphony Chamber presents “Songs of Love,” an Players, Echo Early Music, exciting vocal program with the and the Brevard Chamber powerful and dynamic soprano Orchestra. She has also Simone Vigilante along with performed as a guest artist pianist and Artistic Director on the concert series of St. Daniel Weiser in five different Matthias, St. Matthew’s, Blue locations in the region over the Ridge Community College, first weekend in March. Montreat Friends of Music, The program features songs and as a guest artist on the on the theme of love from ribbon cutting ceremonies Simone Vigilante, soprano the diverse worlds of opera, for NC Stage and the Grand operetta, musical theater, Bohemian Hotel. and film by composers such as Puccini, Herbert, Born in Rochester, NY, Vigilante attended Loesser, Arlen, Kern, Rodgers, and more, the Eastman School of Music beginning her showcasing Vigilante’s full range and diversity studies in piano. She furthered her studies in of styles. Dr. Weiser will share fun and amusing vocal performance with Dr. Marilyn Taylor at the anecdotes about the composers before each (University of) NC School of the Arts (BM 1997). performance. Vigilante immediately continued her studies at Lauded by the Asheville Citizen-Times as a the Indiana University of Bloomington, where she “Beautiful, dramatic soprano capable of some worked primarily with Classical Singer Magazine’s awesome fireworks,” soprano Simone Vigilante 2010 teacher of the year, Virginia Zeani. has appeared in recital and onstage with opera companies and orchestras throughout the US and PROGRAM INFORMATION Europe. She has lived in the Asheville area since Thursday, March 1, 7 pm 2001 and sung leading roles with The Modern Isis Restaurant and Music Hall American Music Project, Asheville Lyric Opera and 743 Haywood Rd | Asheville, NC Opera Creations, performed as soloist with the Tickets: $20. For dinner reservations, call Isis at Asheville Symphony, Asheville Symphony Chorus, (828) 575-2737. Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Area Piano Forum, performed on fund raisers for Hope to Friday, March 2, 7:30 pm Home, Thrivent, WNCAP (Western North Carolina Home of Daniel Angerstein and Jerry Schultz Aids Project), and serves as a regular Cantor/ 1998 Randy Dr. | Hendersonville, NC Soloist at St. Mary’s Church. Tickets: $35, includes light food and drinks. As one of the leading sopranos in the area,

Saturday, March 3, 7:30 pm Home of Rebecca Morgan 63 Forest Rd | Biltmore Forest, NC Tickets: $35, includes light food and drinks. Sunday, March 4, 4 pm Orchard Inn 100 Orchard Inn Ln | Saluda, NC Tickets: $50, includes hors d’oeuvres. Beverage tickets were available at the door. *Note - This will also be a fundraiser for the Saluda Depot, which seeks to preserve and restore the historic train Depot in Saluda. Tickets also available at the Orchard Inn and the Saluda Depot. ABOUT AMICIMUSIC AmiciMusic, meaning “music among friends,” was founded by Artistic Director Daniel Weiser in Asheville in 2011 and performs regular chamber music concerts in both Asheville and Baltimore, MD. AmiciMusic seeks to break down barriers between performers and audience through brief discussions of each composer on their programs and by promoting a relaxed and informal atmosphere at concerts to encourage new concert-goers to enjoy the energy of the performances and the spirit of community and camaraderie. At all shows, Daniel Weiser will talk about the pieces before they are played and help break down the barriers between performers and audience by establishing a very informal and relaxed concert atmosphere. For information about all concerts and to purchase tickets in advance, please visit www.amicimusic.org and click on the Asheville Concerts link.

IF YOU GO

Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 23


THE POET'S VOICE

By Carol Bjorlie — “The Poet behind the cello”

PEACE TO ALL “American poetry is the truest journalism we have,” Garrison Keillor From Garrison’s Good Poems for Hard Times I include poems by X.J. Kennedy, Lisel Mueller, Wendell Berry, and Rita Dove. Rita’s poem is titled, ‘Dawn Revisited.’

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the future never happens. How to good to rise in sunlight in the prodigal smell of biscuits eggs and sausage on the grill. The whole sky is yours

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to write on, blown open to a blank page. Come on, shake a leg! You’ll never know who’s down there, frying those eggs, if you don’t get up and see. From X. J. Kennedy we read his poem, ‘September Twelfth, 2001’ Two caught on film who hurtle from the eighty-second floor, choosing between a fireball and to jump holding hands, aren’t us. I wake beside you, stretch, scratch, taste the air, the incredible joy of coffee and the morning light. Alive, we open eyelids on our pitiful share of time, we bubbles rising and bursting in a boiling pot. From Lisel Mueller I bring you, ‘Things.’ What happened is, we grew lonely living among the things, so we gave the clock a face, the chair a back, the table four stout legs which will never suffer fatigue. We fitted our shoes with tongues as smooth as our own and hung tongues inside bell’s we could listen to their emotional language, and because we loved graceful profiles the pitcher received a lip, the bottle a long, slender neck.

Even what was beyond us was recast in our image; we gave the country a heart, the storm and eye the cave a mouth so we could pass into safety. I chose one quote from Frances Mayes’ The Discovery of Poetry. This chapter begins with a quote from Walt Whitman. “I hear bravuras of birds, bustle of growing wheat, gossip of flames, clack of sticks cooking my meals. I hear the sound I love, the sound of the human voice. . . .” Consider reading these poems out loud in your authentic voice. Consider reading them to someone you love. ‘A Navajo chant’ The mountains, I become part of it . . . The herbs, the fir tree, I become part of it. The morning mists, the clouds, the gathering waters, I become part of it. The wilderness, the dew drops, the pollen. . . I become part of it. From Hildegard of Bingen I am the one whose praise echo on high. I adorn all the earth. I am the breeze that nurtures all things green. I encourage blossoms to flourish with ripening fruits. I am led by the spirit to feed the purest streams. I am the rain coming from the dew that causes the grasses to laugh with the joy of life. I am the yearning for good. Well, someone has to yearn for good!! I’m looking for it everywhere, how about you? Here’s a poem about peace. Peace be to earth and to airy space! Peace be to heaven, peace to the waters, Peace to the plant sand peace to the trees! May all the powers grant to me

24 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018

peace! this invocation of peace may peace be diffused! By this invocation of peace may peace bring peace. With this peace the dreadful I now appease, With this peace the cruel I now appease, With this peace all evil I now appease, So that peace may prevail, happiness prevail! May everything for us be peaceful. Atharva Veda XXIX A short poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins What would the word be, one bereft Of wet and wildness? Let them be left, O let them be left wildness and wet; Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet. What an idea! No to fracking, drilling, and pipelines. (I didn’t say that Gerard did.) A quote from Quincy Troupe: Because Americans come from so many places, the poets our time are infusing powerful new energy and idioms into our language. Their poetry flows from different geographies and cultures, as immigration continues to transform this country and nativeborn Americans retrace the steps and recapture the voices of their ancestors. Michael S. Harper adds: “Yes, rhythm does become a kind of language for me. So much of jazz music, in particular, depends on phrasing, and I have a kind of inner dynamic in my own composition time, so when I’m writing a poem, I’m completely wide open as to what my options might be. At that point, I’m not concerned about the audience or anything else. It is a certain kind of blossoming I only have that when I’m writing, not when I’m performing.” Peace to you, Brothers and Sisters, Carol


BOOKS

Kristin Hannah comes to Malaprop’s Feb. 16 Kristin Hannah delivers a new novel – beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love, loss, and the fight for survival. As with her previous book The Nightingale, (published in 43 languages, and currently in movie production at TriStar Pictures with Michelle Maclaren set to direct), The Great Alone is another profoundly moving and relevant portrait of the power and strength of women. For 13-year-old Leni Allbright, Alaska is the place that both saves her family and destroys the innocence of her childhood. It is 1974. The world is deeply divided. Gone is the idealism and integrity of previous generations. Leni’s father, Ernt, has come home from his years as a POW in Vietnam a changed, volatile man. He decides impulsively to move his family north to Alaska, where they will live off the grid, in a desperate bid to find These Trees is a veritable ‘Valentine’ to the arboreal world. Ruthie Rosauer, editor, and photographer, is obviously tree-crazy.

peace, restoration, freedom. But when the darkness of winter falls, his undiagnosed PTSD puts them all at risk, and Leni and her mother, Cora, learn the dangers of isolation and paranoia. Out in the wild, there is no one to save them except themselves. The Great Alone dares to show us what strong, determined women can accomplish. Hannah’s themes of survival, female empowerment, domestic abuse, undiagnosed PTSD, the cost of the Vietnam War, and the echoes of the l970’s today, are all at the forefront of the conversation in this country. The Great Alone is a celebration and an exquisite study of human frailty and resilience, and a warning that wildness lives in both nature and man. IF YOU GO

Malaprop’s Presents An Evening with Kristin Hannah. 02/16 - 6pm. 55 Haywood St, Asheville. (828) 2546734

You’ll want to visit the pages again and again.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Rosauer’s passion for In this book, there are over trees first drew her 140 of her images of trees to photography. Her divided into six chapters: work has been shown Bark, Leaves, Roots, in multiple venues Shapes, Crowning Glories Moreton Bay Roots -in Hendersonville, taken at Allerton Garden on and Whole trees. Kauai, roots of a tree called the Transylvania Arts a Moreton Bay Fig Tree Twenty-five poems penned Council’s shows by 20 poets were chosen to in Brevard, Tryon accompany the photographs. Some Sculptors & Painters, Tryon School of the poems are about specific types of Arts and Crafts and the Burke of trees, such as redbuds, dogwoods County Arts Council’s gallery in or paperbark maples and these poems are paired with photos of those Morganton. Rosauer has been a magazine particular trees. Most are less about editor, economist, an attorney. Now a specific tree and more about the retired, she moved to Hendersonville feelings evoked by trees in general. in 2011 where she lives happily Settle in with a beverage of your with her husband and two dogs — choice as you leisurely peruse this collection of photographs and poetry. surrounded by trees.

Upcoming events already scheduled: March 3-April 7 — Tree photographs on exhibit — Tryon Painters and Sculptors Gallery (show of four artists)

IF YOU GO

March 16-April 15 — Tree photographs on exhibit and book signing — Burke County Arts Council March 20 — Hendersonville Library event “For the Love of Trees: How to Create a Garden in the Shade” sponsored by the Hendersonville Tree Board. My co-presenter for this is Sieglinde Anderson, a landscaper designer

FEB. 2018

PARTIAL LISTING

We host numerous Readings & Book clubs, as well as Salons! Visit www.malaprops.com

READINGS & BOOK SIGNINGS

CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE Presents A PIECE OF THE WORLD in conversation with WILEY CASH 02/03 - 6pm Dorje Dolma ‘YAK GIRL: Growing Up in the Remote Dolpo Region of Nepal’ 02/07 - 6pm Amy Bloom presents ‘White Houses’ 02/14 - 6pm Malaprop’s Presents An Evening with Kristin Hannah 02/16 6pm JOHN LELAND presents ‘HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE YOU MAKE: Lessons from a Year Among the Oldest Old’ 02/21 6pm TWO HOOTS PRESS presents ‘MY MOUNTAINS, MY PEOPLE’ by JOHN PARRIS 02/25 - 3pm GWEN DIEHN presents ‘ON DRAWING TEN THOUSAND THINGS’ 02/26 - 6pm

55 Haywood St.

(828) 254-6734 • 800-441-9829 Monday-Saturday 9AM to 9PM Sunday 9AM to 7PM

March 24 — book signing at A Walk in the Woods in Hendersonville. August 4-31 — “Enchanted Forest” an exhibit of my trees photographs at Tryon School of Arts and Crafts.

Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 25


Zoe & Cloyd Warm Hearts this Feb 10 By Staff Reports

The Black Mountain Center for the Arts welcomes to its

Zoe & Cloyd on Saturday, Feb. 10, 7:30 pm. Tickets are $16. stage favorites

This charming young couple has come into their own in front of Black Mountain audiences, and continue to grow

Zoe & Cloyd at BMCA — Photo by David Simchock

as they celebrate their second full-length album. Beat the February chill and snuggle up for this

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WWW.TOWNHARDWARE.COM 26 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018


MORE ART

‘Govewood’ continued from pg. 15 On February 17-18, Pamella O’Connor will be demonstrating paper gathering techniques used to create texture on her signature line of hanji flower lamps. Hanji is a traditional handmade paper from Korea, made from the inner bark of Paper Mulberry, a shrub-like tree that grows throughout Asia. Hanji is exceptionally durable, capable of being stretched, feathered, gathered and twisted. It’s also highly malleable, making it an ideal material for creating various handicrafts.

Pamella was first introduced to hanji during a two-year teaching stint in South Korea. Returning to Asheville in 2010, Pamella started her own business, Hanji Home. In 2012, she received the Merit Award as a first-time presenter at the Buyer’s Market of American Craft, catapulting her lamps onto the national scene. These days, she continues to make handmade art lamps and other hanji decors while focusing on perfecting her craft.

O’Connor will have a variety of finished hanji flower lamps on display and available to purchase during her demonstration. Grovewood Gallery Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 5:30 pm, and Sunday, 11-5 pm. For more information on Grovewood Gallery, visit www.grovewood.com or call (828) 253-7651.

IF YOU GO

‘Zoe’ continued heartwarming concert. Hailing from opposite ends of the Appalachian mountains, husband-and-wife duo Zoe & Cloyd are just perfect together. Natalya Zoe Weinstein is a renowned fiddler and vocalist, and John Cloyd Miller is an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist. Their show is as diverse as their upbringing. Coming from a line of klezmer and jazz musicians, Weinstein trained classically in her home state of Massachusetts, while Miller, a 12th generation North Carolinian, is the grandson of pioneering bluegrass fiddler, Jim Shumate. The couple are founding members of the acclaimed Americana trio, Red June, and longtime veterans of the Asheville, NC music scene.

Go

They shifted to their duet project after the birth of their daughter in 2015. With deep roots in American music, Zoe & Cloyd released their second full-length album, Eyes Brand New, in April 2017. Highlighting their emotive songwriting and signature harmonies, this new recording finds the duo returning to a full band sound with Kevin Kehrberg on bass, and special appearances from Will Straughan of Red June on Dobro and Jens Kruger of the Kruger Brothers on banjo. Eyes Brand New showcases the breadth of their collective musical spirit, seamlessly combining original folk, country, old-time and bluegrass with sincerity and zeal. Zoe & Cloyd’s debut recording, Equinox (2015),

Businesses

The Black Mountain Center for the Arts 225 W. State Street. All tickets can be purchased by calling (828) 669.0930, visiting BlackMountainArts.org or Eventbrite.com. IF YOU GO

Find Art and you will Find Yourself

— Dennis Ray

Local Support Local

also met with high acclaim and the pair have continued to gain momentum with performances at the prestigious Fresh Grass Festival where they were named first place winners of the duo contest in 2015, MerleFest, Music City Roots and more. Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine agrees, proclaiming Zoe & Cloyd as, “A musical collaboration that demands to be heard.” In years past special guests have popped in to add to Valentine’s fun, so make a point of attending this fantastic show.

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Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 27


LOCAL SHOPS

Creative great gift ideas for this Valentine’s Day at Raven & Crone

By Staff Reports

This month go to Asheville Raven & Crone for your Valentine’s Day needs. Visit their locally owned Asheville shop and enjoy finding your special someone a unique and personal gift, and perhaps even something special for yourself. They offer many beautiful items to fill a gift basket such as a variety of candles, incense, and teas, as well as jewelry and bath salts. You may just see something particular that calls to you and reminds you of your loved one. Perhaps you are seeking something out of the ordinary? They offer tarot cards, bath kits, Lover’s Oil, and more. A collection of crystals in a beautiful bag or a unique piece of jewelry for that special someone will provide much joy for Valentine’s Day and beyond.

Photo by Amy Powers

Ready to write a poem or love letter? They have beautiful writing sets and quills with which to write, as well as sealing wax and seals. Shopping this time of year can be stressful, so come to Asheville Raven & Crone for a peaceful respite. Savor a complimentary cup of tea while you shop, enjoying a feast for the senses.

28 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018

Have fun knowing you are finding a unique and special gift for someone. Browse Raven & Crone’s book selection and choose a treefree unique card to go with your gift. They offer items to fit any budget and a variety that will please all the loves of your life. “Remember those people, whether it be family, friend or romantic, with an item from our store,” says store manager, Lisa Wagoner. “If someone can’t decide, or if there is someone difficult to shop for, we offer gift certificates.” Asheville Raven and Crone 555 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804 Phone: (828) 424-7868 www.ashevilleravenandcrone.com

IF YOU GO


CONTINUED

‘Dance’ continued from pg. 8 to appear in benefits for international AIDS organizations such as DRA (Dancers Responding to AIDS) and Classical Action in New York City, the Life Ball in Vienna, Austria, Dancers for Life in Toronto, Canada, London’s Stonewall Gala and Germany’s AIDS Tanz Gala. Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo’s Asheville performances are funded in part by the Arthur J. Fryar Charitable Fund through the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, and are made possible by Performance Sponsors Shiner Antorio & Kathy Robinson; and by Mainstage Dance Series Sponsors Joel & Deborah Bohan-

Berkowitz, Hedy Fischer & Randy Shull, Richard & Francee Healy, Steve & Rena Hoffman, Susan L. Holden, Bill & Jerry McAninch, Ronna & Rob Resnick, Diamond Brand Outdoors, and the Omni Grove Park Inn; with additional support from Media Photo by Sascha Vaughan Sponsor The Laurel of Asheville. The Diana Wortham Theatre is located at 18 Biltmore Avenue. The intimate theatre seats just over 500 and boasts exceptional acoustics and

sightlines, making it the premier performance space in Western NC. The Mainstage Series 2017/2018 Season Sponsors are 67 Biltmore Downtown Eatery & Catering, the Asheville Citizen-Times, Blue Moon Water, Buncombe County TDA, Creative Energy, the North Carolina Arts Council, and the Renaissance Asheville Hotel. To obtain more information on the Mainstage Series or to purchase tickets for the February 13 and 14, 2018 performance by Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (Regular $45; Student $40; Child $20; Student Rush, day-ofthe-show with valid I.D. $10), call the theatre’s box office at (828) 257-4530 or visit www.dwtheatre. com.

IF YOU GO

‘Art’ continued from pg. 11 Arts District. “One of my favorites is, ‘What do you call your art?’ In the studio I can start talking about abstraction to people unfamiliar with what it is all about,” says the artist. “I want people to feel comfortable with abstract art, and that begins with looking and thinking.” Fleta Monaghan comments, “One way I know an abstract painting is working is when the viewer immediately begins to make their interpretations. They might say an area looks like clouds, or the colors make them feel a certain way. Rather than the art spelling things out for the viewer, they are challenged to make their sense of things. Their imaginations and creativity are engaged. I think of it as a collaboration of imagination between the artist and viewer.” Molinelli often answers questions about abstraction by explaining her approach to depicting energy and feeling. “Color alone is such a powerful conveyor of emotion. When you add an expressive line and mark to it, you can communicate using a universal visual language we all share. That is powerful. When the art speaks to you, there is no mistaking it.”

A question Molinelli hears quite often is ‘How do you start a painting?’ Since she doesn’t paint from a scene, figure, or photo, she says she begins by beginning. “I may start with a color that represents a thought or an emotion. Or I energize the canvas with random marks and lines to see where they lead. As I progress, the colors, lines, and marks dialogue with each other. The best approach is to get out of the way and let it unfold.” The artist says the best days in her studio are when her mind is quieted or simply elsewhere being occupied with music. “When the inner editor kicks in too soon, you’re doomed. My antidote is to listen to music, full blast, and sing or dance along as I paint.” Viewers often have many more questions. They want to learn and understand, and it provides an opening for some lively conversations with viewers and the artist. Another common question is, “When do you know you are finished? That, says Molinelli, is the trickiest part. “Just as with any dialogue, you have to know when to wrap it up gracefully. She says she works best in short spurts and allows a piece to sit for a day or two before

revisiting it. “Most artists will agree that no painting is ever done, but we all have to reach a peaceful, satisfying conclusion at some point. And when you get there, you just seem to know it instinctively.” Living with abstract art is a subjective choice, Molinelli says. She wants people to know that, above all, expressive abstract art reaches people on levels they may not even know. “I think of the viewer as a co-creator in the visual story of the piece. They are adding to the dialogue of the painting which the artist began and are filling it with meaning every time they look at it.” See the work of Jane Molinelli, Cindy Walton, Fleta Monaghan and more abstract art at 310 ART, located in the River Arts District of Asheville. Take some time to look and chat with the artists. At Riverview Station, Studio #310 ground floor north end. 191 Lyman Street, Asheville NC 28801. Hours in Jan and Feb are 12-4pm, seven days a week and by appointment. (828)776-2716, 310art.com IF YOU GO

Vol. 21, No.6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018 29


RAPID RIVER MAGAZINE'S COMICS Ratchet and Spin

By Jess and Russ Woods Ratchet and Spin © 2018

www.brotherrock.net

Dragon Ratchet and Spin

Corgi Tales

Best in Show

By Jess and Russ Woods Ratchet and Spin © 2018

By Phil Hawkins

By Phil Juliano

30 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018

By Michael Cole


PERFORMING ARTS

‘CMS’ continued from pg. 4 assistant. “If you love the music of Schubert, this is the concert for you. The music on this program will focus on two romantic figures of Vienna — Schubert who helped forge the style, and Korngold who, due to the rise of the Nazi regime, brought his late romantic concert music to the silver screen in Hollywood.” THE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23 PROGRAM INCLUDES: Schubert: Fantasie, F minor, Piano 4 Hands, D. 940, Op. 103 Schubert: Fantasie, C major for Violin and Piano, D. 934, Op. 159 Korngold: Suite of Piano Left Hand, Two Violins, and Cello, Op. 23 For well over half a century the ACMS has

taken its place as a valued cultural resource in Asheville, bringing world-renowned chamber artists to the city. As one of the nation’s oldest continuous performing chamber music organizations, it has been recognized for its outstanding programs and its unique education component through a collaboration with the strings program of the Asheville Buncombe Schools and other cultural partners in the community, including the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra. Tickets are $38 general admission. Youth under 25 are free. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit the ACMS website: www.AshevilleChamberMusic.org or call (828) 575-7427 or email support@AshevilleChamberMusic.org

IF YOU GO

On Stage in Hendersonville THE FRENCH CONNECTION Masterwork Performance by Christopher Tavernier & Matthew Hanna at the FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE THEATRE “The French Connection” concert will include several solos and duets, including well-known works by Claude Debussy, Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Francis Poulenc, André Messager, and Jérôme Naulais. This is a musical survey of the brilliance and range of French composers and other renowned composers who lived and worked in France. The great works by these celebrated com-

posers during this period were the cradle of modern music. The “French Connection” will be performed exclusively on Mason & Hamlin’s 9’4” Concert Grand Piano provided by Freeburg Pianos. There are less than 20 of these pianos in the US. IF YOU GO

Downtown Hendersonville 125 South Main Street • Hendersonville Saturday • February 3, 2 pm. For Tickets please call (828) 693-9708

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32 Vol. 21, No. 6 — RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — February 2018


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