Find your inner artist Ashe County Arts Council has something for everyone BY CHANDA RICHARDSON
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ince the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the Ashe County Arts Council has been working hard behind the scenes to bring back a sense of unity as the world struggled to find their way out. Through the hard work of directors, sponsors and volunteers, the Arts Council rallied back up in 2021 with numerous art shows, gallery crawls and music, giving the community a chance to get outside and appreciate what they have to offer. Nestled in a historic 1930s Works Progress Administration building in downtown West Jefferson, the Ashe County Arts Council has long been committed to promoting the arts as a hallmark of an active, engaged community. Located at 303 School Avenue, the building provides local artists and craftsman with a place to come together and showcase their work through a variety of concerts, literary events, meetings and rentals each year. The Arts Center also boasts a gallery shop that sells the work of more than 100 artists and crafts artisans. Aside from its downtown arts space, the Ashe Arts Council also operates out of the Ashe Civic Center, a 282-seat theatre space that serves as the home of the Ashe County Little Theatre, a communitybased volunteer theater group that performs a fine variety of shows each year. In 2021 the Ashe County Little Theatre produced three live radio productions 142
PHOTO BY CHANDA RICHARDSON Friday’s in the Park is a concert series put on by the Ashe County Arts Council and took place every third Friday from the months of May to August.
during the Summer and Fall. While no lineup has been released for 2022, the Arts Council is hoping to get back onto the stage for future performances. The Civic Center is also the host of a variety of live shows, ranging from orchestral performances, chamber music, country music and more. Visit www. ashecountyarts.org for more information on live events. Gallery Crawls are also a great way to appreciate the culture of Ashe County. On Friday, June 10, the gallery crawls will start back up from 5 — 7 p.m. in Downtown West Jefferson. Crawls will con-
tinue July — Oct. every second Friday of the month. Mark your calendar for July 8, August 12, September 9, October 14. In addition to the many gallery crawls and numerous events, the Arts Council also holds the Fridays in the Park Concert Series at Ashe Park in Jefferson. The 2021 concert season was a great success for the county and the Arts Council with hundreds of locals and tourists finding themselves sitting on the open lawn in front of the Blevins Shelter. This summer, the concerts will kick off on May 20 with Wayne Henderson, Randy Greer and Herb Key, followed by
SUMMER CONCERTS Steve Lewis and Bluegrass, Inc. — June 18 at 7 p.m. The Burnett Sisters Band — July 16 at 7 p.m. Wayne Henderson — Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. The Wildmans on June 17 and the Tray Wellington Band on Aug. 19. Each concert is free and open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. For more information about these events, contact the Ashe County Arts Council at (336) 846-2728. SUMMER TIMES 2022
