Artful Asheville

When we took our first major trip in our first motorcoach, we went to the Northwest.  Among the things Anna Lee researched to do was to attend the Sawtooth Mountains Women’s Craft Fair.  This was before we bought a tow car, so the RV was our only mode of travel to campgrounds, restaurants and places to visit.  The best thing about the drive to the Sawtooths was our stop at Craters of the Moon.  After that we could find little to do because it was hard to take the motor home everywhere.  But we kept looking forward to the Craft Fair; after all, what else did those women have to do during the long, long winter but be creative. 

We arrived at the fairgrounds in the late afternoon when everything was being set up.   We decided to preview and plan for the next day.  What we saw on display was the equivalent of a beginning craft class for children or the aged, no art, no creativity, just boring stuff.  Anna Lee lost her cool and wanted to be taken to an airport to fly home.  Jerry would be left to deal with the RV on his own.  Well, you know that didn’t happen but we still like arts and crafts.

Asheville is the antithesis of the Sawtooths.  It is a center worthy of international acclaim.  We mentioned our visit to the Blue Spiral Gallery.  That was but a preview of the rest of our art experience.  During a break in the rain, we took a ride up to the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Folk Art Center run by the Southern Highland Craft Guild.  These talented artists work in many techniques, woodwork, fabric arts and quilts, metal, basketry, and more.  Members of the guild are in the entry displaying their work and explaining their technique to visitors.  The Center is like a museum but everything is for sale but not for photography.

While we waited for the time for our repairs, Paul and Carol offered us a real treat, a trip to the River Arts area of Asheville and to the River View Station, a complex of dozens of artists’ studios.  The artists were most welcoming.  Beyond the tour of their studio, we got private demonstrations of them at work. 

One of the artists explained a painting technique that was new to us.  It is encaustic or hot wax painting.

Jerry in particular enjoyed watching and talking to the wood turne

 We were all tempted to return for classes after talking to two ceramicists.  One took us to see the kilns and explained the raku kiln and Big Bertha.  She said that she knew by sight, sound and soul when her pieces were ready, the soul being her expertise and feeling about the work.

The man weaving baskets caught our attention and one of his works will be on display when we return home.

Asheville is a town to thrill any art lover and is worth repeated visits.