Art in the High Country BY JILLYAN MOBLEY
T
he diverse scenery and community artists makes the Blue Ridge Mountains an ideal location for anyone from professional artists to casual enjoyers of craft to immerse themselves in creativity. With a high saturation of local artists, there are numerous art events each year in the High Country that feature beautiful work and, on some occasions, give community members and visitors an opportunity to make art of their own.
AVERY FINE ARTS AND MASTER CRAFTS FESTIVAL
The Avery Fine Art & Master Crafts Festival will take place on July 15-17 and Aug. 12-14 at Sugar Mountain Resort. The festivals feature a unique gathering of hand-crafted wares from fine artists and master crafters. Fine art includes photography, paintings, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, weaving, glass art, wood crafts, wood furniture, specialty candles, body care, soaps and much more. The Avery Fine Art & Master Crafts Festival benefits the Avery County Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit www.averycounty.com/chamber-events.
BARN QUILTS
Visitors to the High Country can take their choice of six loop trails in order to see the works of regional artists: Barn quilts. The High Country is home to more than 150 barn quilts, many of which are located in Ashe County. According to the Ashe County Arts Council website barn quilts are “a symbol of comfort and family.” The loop trails have written instructions with mileage, landmarks and road names to help the “barn quilt hunter” to find as many barn quilts as possible. For more information visit www.ashecountyarts.org/. 138
PHOTO SUBMITTED Ashe County has the largest collection of barn quilts in the region with more than 150 documented sites.
BLOWING ROCK ART IN THE PARK
Enjoy arts and crafts by award-winning artisans that are jury-selected for each show, which features a different set of artists, curated to present diverse mediums. Find gifts and works for personal collections, functional art like furniture and cutlery and wearable art such as handcrafted jewelry and textiles. Artists’ tents line Park Avenue right in downtown Blowing Rock in close proximity to other shopping, as well as dining options and local parks. A concert in the Park that follows each Art in the Park on Sundays. This year’s Art in the Park celebration kicks off on May 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about this event visit www. blowingrock.com/artinthepark/.
ASHE COUNTY ARTS
Visit Ashe County artists in their studios and see where they do their work. A self-guided tour throughout beautiful Ashe County. Free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 6 and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 7. A gallery crawl will take
place on the second Fridays of each month from June to October from 5 to 7 p.m. Also check out free concerts at Ashe Park on June 17 and Aug. 19. A full list of arts events in Ashe County can be found at www.ashecountyarts.org.
BLOWING ROCK PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL
The Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival is a four day painting event that focuses on capturing the beauty of Blowing Rock. This year, from August 16 to August 20, artists from around the world will paint outside while exploring the unique Blowing Rock architecture and mountainous views. Painters are then invited to display their work at the “Wet Paint” art show and sale on August 20, which the public is invited to attend to view and purchase paintings. All submitted art to the show will be entered into a plein air competition. For more information, visit www.blowingrockmuseum.org.
WATAUGA COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL GROUPS
The Watauga County Arts Council
offers a variety of art groups throughout the year available for locals and visitors to participate in. Enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery of the region while painting with the High Country Plein Air Painters on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to Noon. at 12 different locations throughout the summer and fall. Create accessories with the Western Watauga Jewelry Guild on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or experiment with fiber arts with the Yarn Circle on Monday and Wednesdays from 1 — 4 p.m. at the Watauga County Arts Council. The Banjo Buddies also meet at the Arts Council on Thursdays from 12 — 3 p.m. and occasionally play at local events. Artists of any level are welcome to join the High Country Watermedia Society the second Saturday of each month from May to October at 9:30 a.m. at the King Street Art Collective. For more information on any of these groups or to start your own, contact the Watauga County Arts Council at wcac@ watauga-arts.org. SUMMER TIMES 2022
