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May Issue 2007
River District Artists in Asheville, NC, Offers Spring Studio Stroll
Over 70 of Asheville, NC's artists will open their studios to the public during the River District Artists' Studio Stroll on Saturday and Sunday, June 9 & 10, 2007, from 10am-6pm, both days. The studios are in Asheville's historic River Arts District, located along the French Broad River and the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks just west of the downtown area.
Jonas Gerard
Now in its 14th year, the bi-annual Studio Strolls are an increasingly popular event. Within the scruffy old industrial buildings, artists of all kinds create their magic. There are painters, potters, photographers, fabric artists, glass blowers, sculptors, quilters, musicians, printmakers, jewelers, woodworkers, performance artists, and more. Some are professionals whose work is in museums and collections around the country, while others are just starting out on their journey.
Visitors can hear the clang of metal being worked, see the blast of a glass furnace, feel the vibration of a potter's wheel, or witness a needle as it silently slides through hand dyed fabric. The Studio Stroll is a wonderful opportunity to get an inside look at the studios, buy art directly from working artists and talk with these creative people about their vision.
The New York Times has described the River Arts District as a historic collection of "attractively distressed, previously forsaken structures from Asheville's bygone industrial age." Over the past two decades, artists have transformed the interiors of the old cotton mills, feed stores, and manufacturing plants into attractive studio spaces and galleries. A café and a barbecue restaurant have recently moved in as well, providing excellent food and a welcome break. Much of the District is in walking distance, but since it extends for almost a mile from the north to south, visitors should bring a vehicle.
Brochures will be available at many locations around western North Carolina, including many area hotels and Bed and Breakfasts. The brochures have maps to the studio buildings and listings of the participating artists. Additionally, there will be a concierge booth at the corner of Clingman Avenue and Depot Street which will have even more information available. Once in the District, visitors should look for the bright yellow and black River Arts District sandwich boards outside studio buildings.
For further information, including maps,
directions and listings of the artists, visit the River District
Artists web site at (www.riverdistrictartists.com), or call the
PottersMark at 828/252-9122.
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