May 2013 Rapid River Magazine by Rapid River Magazine

An Appalachian Romance

A collaboration between the Asheville Ballet and Pan Harmonia. PAGE 9

The Asheville Choral Society presents A Spirit to Remember. PAGE 3

Interview with Eileen and Marty Black

Visit the Kenilworth Artists on Memorial Day Weekend. PAGE 12

Black Mountain,

The Little Town that Rocks, invites you to unwind and sit awhile. PAGES 19-21

River Arts District

Discover incredible fine art and delightful crafts. PAGES 22-25

Chip Kaufmann & Michelle Keenan review: 42 • Mud • Oblivion • The Place Beyond the Pines • Trance

PGS

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2 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

performance ASHEVILLE CHORAL SOCIETY TO PERFORM STRAVINSKY AND BOULANGER IN

A Spirit to Remember

turn to one of the great eras in music and the arts: fin-de-siecle Paris,” said ACS Music Director Dr. Melodie Galloway. “It was a time of unsurpassed artistic convergence and creativity, and we hope to convey to our audience the exuberance and passion of this remarkable music.” The program for “A Spirit to Remember” includes Igor Stravinsky, Symphony of Psalms; music by Lili Boulanger, Les Sirenes (The Sirens), Soir sur la Plaine (Evening on the Plain), Hymne au Soleil (Hymn to the Sun), and Psaume 24. “The musicianship of the Asheville Choral

The Asheville Choral Society (ACS) is pleased to announce the final concert of its 36th season, “A Spirit to Remember,” directed by Dr. Melodie Galloway. “For our final concert of the season, we

‘ACS’ continued on page 7

2012-2013 SEASON Daniel Meyer, Music Director Concerts take place in Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

Saturday MAY 11 s 8pm

Rite of Spring Fauré Pavane Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 Joshua Roman, cello Stravinsky The Rite of Spring Joshua Roman

CONCER T SPONSOR

The Layden Family Foundation

2013 2014

SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE

season

FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION 828.254.7046 U www.ashevillesymphony.org

PG. 40

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 3

4 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

we love this place GeekOut Convention

RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE Established in 1997 • Volume Sixteen, Number Nine

MAY 2013

www.rapidrivermagazine.com

Publisher/Editor: Dennis Ray Managing Editor: Beth Gossett Poetry Editor: Carol Pearce Bjorlie Marketing: Dennis Ray, Rick Hills Staff Photographers: Liza Becker, Erica Mueller Layout & Design: Simone Bouyer Accounting: Sharon Cole Distribution: Dennis Ray CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Judy Ausley, Carol Pearce Bjorlie, James Cassara, Michael Cole, Amy Downs, Beth Gossett, Max Hammonds, MD, Phil Hawkins, Marilynne Herbert, John Horrocks, Phil Juliano, Chip Kaufmann, Michelle Keenan, Kathie Kline, Lauren Kriel, Eddie LeShure, Peter Loewer, Marcianne Miller, Kay Miller, April Nance, T.Oder, R.Woods, Dennis Ray, Sarah Wells Rolland, Bruce Sales, David Simchock, Chris Stack, Greg Vineyard, Bill Walz, Daniel Weiser, Ana Woodall. INFO Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine is a monthly publication. Address correspondence to info@rapidrivermagazine.com or write to: Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine 85 N. Main St., Canton, NC 28716 Phone: (828) 646-0071 www.rapidrivermagazine.com All materials contained herein are owned and copyrighted by Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine and the individual contributors unless otherwise stated. Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine or the advertisers found herein. © Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine, May 2013, Vol. 16 No. 9

3 Performance

Asheville Choral Society. . . . . . . . . . 3 AmiciMusic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 NC Stage – This . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Asheville Ballet & Pan Harmonia . . 9 HART – Welcome to Mitford . . . . 13

8 Interviews

Asheville Choral Society. . . . . . . . . . 8 The Red Rocker Inn . . . . . . . . . . . 20 The Potter’s Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Leicester Valley Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

10 Fine Art

Folk Art Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Bender Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . Kenilworth Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonas Gerard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blackbird Frame & Art . . . . . . . . . . Gallery 86. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 11 12 25 26 35

14 Columns

Carol Pearce Bjorlie – Poetry. . . . . Books – Marcianne Miller . . . . . . . James Cassara - Music . . . . . . . . . . Eddie LeShure - Jazz. . . . . . . . . . . . Bill Walz - Artful Living . . . . . . . . . Peter Loewer – The Curmudgeon . Judy Ausley – Southern Comfort . David Simchock – Photo Tips . . . . Greg Vineyard - Fine Art . . . . . . . . Max Hammonds, MD – Health . .

14 15 16 18 27 32 32 33 36 37

17 Music

WNC’s popular arts convention will celebrate all aspects of pop culture; from film, television, and animation to costuming, comics, and stage performance. Celebrity guest appearances and panels, two full days of tabletop and card gaming, a film and animation track, and workshops on independent filmmaking and writing for science fiction. Activities for young and old will include live-action role playing, and a “Photo FX Studio. Two performance stages will showcase theatrical and musical acts. GeekOut, Saturday, May 4 at UNCA’s Sherrill Center and Kimmel Arena. Register on the website, www.geekoutavl.org.

Asheville Beer Week Begins Saturday, May 25 and culminates with the Beer City Festival on Saturday, June 1 in downtown Asheville. Organized by a beer-loving committee of regional beer industry people, the eight day event will include keynote speakers, educational workshops, tastings, dinners, and other beer-centric events. More than 40 breweries are slated to appear at Beer City Festival, with many other national brands at events throughout the week. www.ashevillebeerweek.com

SPECIAL SECTIONS Black Mountain . . . . . . . . . PGS 19-21 River Arts District. . . . . . . . PGS 22-25 Waynesville . . . . . . . . . . . . . PGS 34-35 Find It Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PG 40

Help the Nature Center! The City of Asheville has proposed to close the WNC Nature Center, along with a number of other city resources and programs, to balance the city budget. The Nature Center needs your help to to protect one of our region’s most important assets. Make a tax-deductible donation today, www.wildwnc.org

Crazy LaZoom Fun! Sin fighting nuns terrorize the streets of Asheville! With spring comes a full sevendays-a-week tour schedule. City Tours run daily, and Haunted Tours run Tuesday through Saturday nights. Sunday Beer Run tours with local comedian troupe The Feral Chihuahuas on Sunday, May 26. Lazoom Tour Booth located at 1 ½ Battery Park Ave. New Headquarters at 14 Battery Park Ave. in downtown Asheville. Call (828) 225-6932 or visit www.lazoomtours.com

Pizza Pura Opens Pizza Pura, Neapolitan-style pizza and gelato by Ben Mixson and Laura Reuss of White Duck Taco fame, opened last month! Instead of making decadent, cheesy meltdowns, Reuss creates scaled-down pies that showcase quality ingredients. “I like the thin crust, the chewiness, the richness of the ingredients, kind of unspoiled, just add a little salt here and there or fresh herbs,” she says. “It’s really about the preparation.” Read more about Neapolitan pizza and Pizza Pura's mission at www.pizzapura.com. Pizza Pura is located at 342 Depot Street in the Pink Dog Studios building.

www.RapidRiverMagazine.com

Leon Redbone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James McCartney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Howlin’ Brothers . . . . . . . . . . One Leg Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

17 17 18 18

34 Local Favorites

Like Us On Facebook Win monthly prizes to area restaurants and attractions!

The Classic Wineseller . . . . . . . . . . 34 Dogwood Restaurant & Lounge . . 42 The Spice & Tea Exchange . . . . . . 43

28 Movie Reviews

Chip Kaufmann & Michelle Keenan.. 28

On the Cover:

Eileen and Marty Black, owners of The Potter’s Mark. Photo: Erica Mueller PAGE

38 What to Do Guide

™

Best in Show by Phil Juliano . . . . . Callie & Cats by Amy Downs . . . . Corgi Tales by Phil Hawkins . . . . Dragin by Michael Cole . . . . . . . . Ratchet & Spin by T.Oder, R.Woods

39 39 39 39 39

Distributed at more than 390 locations throughout eight counties in WNC and South Carolina. First copy is free – each additional copy $1.50

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 5

sound experience

Musical Mothers and The French Connection

AmiciMusic presents top quality chamber music in intimate venues and non-traditional spaces throughout the region. In May, violinist Tim Schwarz will be a special guest in a program exploring the connection between American and French composers. Pianist Daniel Weiser, Artistic Director of AmiciMusic will also present a special Mother’s Day concert showcasing great piano music by women composers.

Musical Mothers Presented at the White Horse Black Mountain on Sunday, May 12 at 3 p.m. Dr. Weiser will play music of Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Amy Beach, and many more women and mothers who were able to compose beautiful music under difficult circumstances, often without support from their family. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for children/students. For more details and reservations, visit www.whitehorseblackmountain.com

The French Connection Concerts feature Philadelphia native Tim Schwarz on violin with Dan Weiser on piano performing works by Cesar Franck, Maurice Ravel, and George Gershwin. Schwarz and Weiser were the 1996 U.S. Artistic Ambassadors of Music, for which they were sent on an eleven-country tour of the Middle East and Southeast Asia to promote American music. Mr. Schwarz is currently the Head of the String Department at Lehigh University and a member of the Serafin String Quartet. He has performed in over 20 countries and recorded for 5 different CD labels. On Saturday, May 18 at 12, they will perform a free, abridged concert at the Pack Library in downtown Asheville at 67 Haywood Road. On Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m., they will perform at the White Horse Black Mountain. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for students/children. For details and reservations, visit www.whitehorseblackmountain.com

Jason DeCristofaro Trio

I Celebrating 10 years of Callie & Cats in Rapid River Magazine! You’ll find your favorite comics every month in the What to Do GuideTM

FEATURING CALEN GAYLE

If you encounter anyone wringing their hands over the future of jazz, get them this CD. Their concerns will quickly be put to rest as they experience four twenty-something musicians weaving their magic. Recorded live last December at downtown Altamont Theatre (in my opinion Asheville’s finest venue for live music), this offering serves up original material in an evocative blend of moods. Leader Jason DeCristopharo, already an accomplished composer, vibraphonist and Adjunct Professor of Music at Brevard College at age 25, displays serious chops on the vibes while

directing his tightly knit ensemble. Bassist Daniel Iannucci shows his versatility as either a firm driving pulse beneath, or counterpoint tension against the soloing. Micah Thomas brings both fiery energy and delicacy on the traps, always supporting yet never overpowering his band mates. Drummers are for me like basketball referees: best when we experience them firmly yet simply getting it done, worst

On Sunday, May 19 at 3 p.m., they will perform at Temple Beth HaTephila at 43 N. Liberty Street in Asheville. Admission for the program is $20 for adults, $15 Violinist Tim Schwarz for members of the Congregation and $5 for students/children. Tickets available at the door. For reservations and more information please contact Daniel Weiser at (828) 505-2903 or email daniel@amicimusic.org. AmiciMusic is a professional chamber music organization dedicated to performing the highest quality music in intimate venues and nontraditional spaces. Daniel Weiser

For more information please visit www.amicimusic.org

EDDIE LESHURE

when they are intrusive. Meanwhile, while the rhythmic and harmonic masala is comingling, flutist Calen Gayle darts in or floats above like a frisky elf spreading the good cheer. Gayle is the only non-Asheville resident, currently living in Switzerland. All the soloing is creative and first rate. This CD pays homage to jazz’s rich tradition while not being a slave to it, displaying originality and enthusiasm. I had the good fortune to attend this live performance, and this CD captured and restored the excitement for me. www.reverbnation.com/jasondecristofaromusic

Asheville Young Musicians Club’s 2nd Annual Benefit Concert

Founded in 2011 by local student musicians, Grace Kim, Kristie Kim and Sara Eubanks, the Asheville Young Musicians Club includes eleven young musicians from area high schools who enjoy playing together and promoting classical music. The concert takes place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 2, in the Blue Ridge Auditorium of the Deerfield Retirement Community located at 1617 Hendersonville Road in Asheville. Tickets are $20 for adults; $10 for students. For tickets and more information call (828) 681-9732 or email aymc2011@gmail.com. Follow the AYMC on Facebook at aymc2011.

6 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

The Young Musician’s Club is made up of 11 Asheville area students.

stage preview NC STAGE PRESENTS Melissa James Gibson’s

North Carolina Stage Company presents its final Mainstage Series production of their 2012–2013 season, THIS by Melissa James Gibson. Directed by Angie FlynnMcIver, one of NC Stage’s co-founders, the comedy explores the various dimensions of grief, the challenges of navigating adult friendships, and the responsibilities of family, and where those overlap and conflict. Jane is a mom and a recent and unexpected widow. Her closest friends all agree: she is definitely not fine. But they disagree about the best remedy (game nights? red wine? blind dates?). Playwright Melissa James Gibson has won acclaim for her finely drawn characters and scintillatingly funny dialogue in this wonderfully rich and poignant play about old friends and the pitfalls of looming middle age. Flynn-McIver, who has been praised by The Asheville Citizen-Times for her “razor sharp direction,” says she chose the play in great part because of the writing style Gibson uses in THIS. “What I especially love about THIS is that when you read it or see it, it feels like a real conversation. She writes with a rhythm and cadence that ring true to life—the characters interrupt one another and finish each other’s sentences. She makes whole, flawed people. Everyone’s really developed, even if the play’s messy and has loose ends. That’s a brave choice for a playwright to make.” Gibson was awarded the Steinberg Playwright Award in 2011 for THIS, which

‘Choral Society’ continued from page 3

Society singers will be raised to new heights with this concert,” noted Dr. Galloway, “as both Stravinsky and Boulanger are brilliant composers of very challenging music that is both Impressionistic and Expressionistic in style and sound.” The 100-voice chorus will be accompanied by an ensemble of brass, percussion, and reeds, along with two pianos on the Stravinsky piece. Stravinsky composed the Symphony of Psalms in 1929 as a commission for the Boston Symphony Orchestra in celebration of its 50th anniversary. It was named by Time magazine as the century’s best classical piece and lauded by music critics, including Terry Teachout, who remarked,” For all the anxiety in ‘Symphony of Psalms,’ there are also moments of surprising tenderness . . . coming out of absolutely nowhere at the beginning of the third movement, the hallelujahs from the choir are like a shaft of sunlight suddenly breaking through the

This BY LAUREN

PG. 40

KRIEL

premiered at New York’s Playwrights Horizons. Gibson is currently a writer on the acclaimed new TV show The Americans. THIS stars both new and familiar faces to NC Stage audiences. Anne Thibault, who has been heralded for her “powerhouse performances,” was last seen in NC Stage’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane and stars here as the protagonist Jane; Damian Duke Domingue, part of the comedic trio in NC Stage’s recent production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), plays Alan; and Catori Swann, part of last season’s In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play, plays Jean-Pierre. Play Making their NC Stage debuts are Candace Taylor, a theatre faculty member at Warren Wilson College, as Marrell and Mondy Carter, local actor and comedian, as Tom. IF YOU THIS opens May 15 and runs GO through June 9. Performances

are at 7:30 p.m. WednesdaysSaturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoons. Pay What You Can Night is Wednesday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m., with tickets as low as $6. NC Stage, 15 Stage Lane in downtown Asheville. For more information and a full calendar of events, visit www.ncstage.org or call (828) 239-0263.

stained-glass windows of a great cathedral.” While Nadia Boulanger is well known as a composer and teacher of staggering influence on 20th century composers, her younger sister Lili Boulanger is an equally fascinating figure. Though in frail health, Lili had a precocious and highly acclaimed musical career. In 1913, at the age of 19, she became the first woman to win the First Prize in the Prix de Rome and she continued to compose haunting vocal and choral works until her death at age 24. IF YOU A Spirit to Remember. Two GO performances will be held; Friday,

May 10, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 11 at 4 p.m. at Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 South Pack Square in downtown Asheville. Tickets available by phone at (828) 2322060, at www.ashevillechoralsociety.org, and at the door. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students; discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are also available. Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 7

captivating performances INTERVIEW WITH DR. MELODIE G. GALLOWAY, MUSIC DIRECTOR OF THE

Asheville Choral Society

Rapid River Magazine: Tell us

INTERVIEWED BY

a little about Asheville Choral Society’s spring concert “A Spirit to Remember.”

Dr. Melodie G. Galloway directs the University Singers, the Chamber Singers, and Studio 18, a vocal jazz ensemble.

Dr. Melodie G. Galloway: Our

concert this spring highlights the music of two amazing composers. Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms is a masterwork of neoclassicism that is bold and poignant and uniquely Stravinsky. Lili Boulanger’s work, in contrast, are beautiful soundscapes of impressionism that reveal a sophistcation beyond her young years.

RRM: What drew you to the works of Igor

DENNIS RAY

Psaume 24, which almost sounds like a fanfare for the entrance of a Pharaoh!

RRM: Nadia Boulanger is well known as a composer and teacher of staggering influence on 20th century composers, her younger sister Lili Boulanger is an equally fascinating figure. How so? Dr. MGG: Lili Boulanger, the younger sister

Stravinsky and Lili Boulanger in particular for this concert?

Dr. MGG: For many years, I have loved these pieces, even though they are very different from each other. Stravinsky’s Symphony is often gripping and then can be achingly beautiful and lyrical. One minute you’re marching to the incessant rhythm of drums and brass and almost chanting by the choir to the next minute you are transported to the heavens, all while hearing a strange and ethereal dissonance that almost souns disconnected from the rest of the music going on. It’s amazing. Boulanger’s works are much more ‘beautiful,’ but far from simpistic. Her music is strong and powerful, especially the

of Nadia, spent her life sheltered and protected, due to a childhood illness that kept her weak throughout her life. By the time she was a young teenager, she was diagnosed with intestinal tuberculosis (Crohn’s disease), and died at the age of 24. Her teachers included Debussy, Saint-Saens, and her devoted sister. Lili was the first woman to win the greatest European prize for composers, the Prix de Rome, in 1913. She wrote an astounding amount of music before her premature death. Older sister Nadia, who later would teach such students as Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and Philip Glass, stopped composing after Lili’s death and devoted herself to conducting and

teaching. She said “Lili was the composer in the family.”

RRM: What most excites you about this coming show and how would you rate it against your previous concerts here with ACS?

Dr. MGG: This is music one might refer to as

formance began, a group of young people sang to us in English, our own National Anthem, and then sang their own Estonian national anthem - that they had not been allowed to sing in 40 years under Soviet rule. I had never seen the power of music in that way before. We were united through song and didn’t need any other words to have deep understanding.

“epic.” A lot of it sounds like a movie sound track, and it’s exciting. It’s my 2nd season with ACS and I’ve enjoyed every concert, but this event might just be It’s going to be a great year. the mountaintop. These are singers and performers who work hard and Auditions will be just before the love challenging music. They truly season begins in September. “light it up” when they perform. It’s Come out and sing with us! as exciting to watch as it is to hear!

RRM: When you are not working

what music do you typically listen to to just get away from it all?

Dr. MGG: Believe it or not, I unwind with a

mix of music, depending on what I’m doing, usually not choral...... (yes, I said it). I like working out at the Y to Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and Beyonce, and put on classic jazz or Aretha Franklin to cook supper.

RRM: You have performed all over the world and in front of both Presidents G.W. Bush and Clinton. What has been your favorite achievement through music?

Dr. MGG: I think the most meaningful expe-

rience I’ve had in this business was when I traveled to Russia just after the Berlin Wall fell. I was in a 16-voice ensemble that did a mix of styles, a lot of close harmonies, and we flew from Moscow to Tallin, Estonia and got to sing and share in music with many people who had never met Americans. Upon our arrival and before our per-

RRM: ACS is celebrating their 36th year.

Where do you see ACS growing toward in the coming decade?

Dr. MGG: The future of ACS is very bright.

We have an exciting season in the works for next year, including a concert that celebrates music in film (with film clips that will be played at key points in the performance). We are producing a Celtic Dreams concert, which will have dulcimers, dancers, and beautiful Irish and Scottish music, as well as Applachian folk song. It’s going to be a great year. Auditions will be just before the season begins in September. Come out and sing with us!

RRM: WNC strongly embraces classical

and instrumental music more so than many other areas of similar size. We are blessed with many organizations such as ACS, Ashville Lyric Opera, the Asheville Symphony, Asheville Chamber and a half dozen brilliant other organizations. Why do you suppose that is?

Dr. MGG: Asheville is unique in that musi-

New Jazz Cabaret Dinner Concerts

COMING TO WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

This series will feature a variety of top jazz vocalists backed by first-call instrumentalists. All Friday performances will have the look and feel of cabaret shows with an MC, table seating and optional pre-show dinner offered by Black Mountain Bistro. Dinner at 6:30 p.m. with shows at 8 p.m. Friday, May 24: “Boys Night Out” - Russ

Friday, August 30

Wilson, Harry Shultz, Jesse Earl Jr., Nathan Hefner, Zack Page, Rick Dilling. Friday, June 28: “Love,

Harry Schulz

Lies and Liasons” - Wendy Jones, Michael Jefry Stevens , Zack Page, Rick Dilling.

Peggy Ratusz Photo: Julie Bird

Rockell Scott

Rachael Murray

Photo by Frank Zipperer

- “Peggy, Rosie and Us” - Wendy Jones, Rachel Murray , Michael Jefry Stevens, Zack Page, Rick Dilling.

Friday, September 27: “From the Cafes of Paris to the Jazz

Clubs of New York” - Peggy Ratusz, the Gypsy Jazz band One Leg Up (John Stineman, Jim Tanner, Zack Page, Mike Guzalak, Steve Trisman).

Friday, July 26: “Straight

Russ Wilson

EDDIE LESHURE

From the Heart” - Rockell Scott, Bill Bares, Zack Page, Justin Watt.

IF YOU White Horse Black Mountain, GO 105c Montreat Road, Black

Wendy Jones

Photo: Scott Treadway

8 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

Mountain. For more information please phone (828) 669-0816 or visit www.whitehorseblackmountain.com

cians of the highest caliber live and work here. We are gaining a reputation for our music (and our food) because of the commitment and drive of great music-makers and supporters of the art. As a member of the music faculty at UNCA, I am amazed at the students coming each year who want to perform and support music in the Asheville area. It’s great to be “in the scene,” and get to see live performance (that’s really good quality). You can walk around downtown on any given weekend and hear jazz, classical, blues, rock, and folk..... I’m still figuring out how to add some choral music to the drum circle! ;) IF YOU The Asheville Choral Society GO singers will perform on the stage of

the Diana Wortham Theatre under the direction of Dr. Melodie Galloway with live accompaniment by professional musicians. Performances will be held on Friday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 11 at 4 p.m.

performance UNIQUE COLLABORATION BETWEEN TWO LOCAL PROFESSIONAL ART ORGANIZATIONS:

Asheville Ballet & Pan Harmonia

The Asheville Ballet presents its final performance of the 2012-2013 Season, May 17-18 at Diana Wortham Theatre at 7:30 p.m. We cap an exceptional year with an original production of An Appalachian Romance, with choreography by director Ann Dunn, in collaboration with Kate Steinbeck’s Pan Hamonia, Asheville’s premier chamber music ensemble, and under the baton of conductor, Caleb Young. Aaron Copland’s American Classic, Appalachian Spring, performed Spring live by the superb professional musicians of Pan Harmonia and the outstanding professional dancers of The Asheville Ballet, A ballet based on the Romeo and Juliet story, An Appalachian Romance has performances May 17-18. nuanced and coaxed to vivid life by Mr. Young, is sure to be a winner. All new Shaker melody Simple Gifts (1848). Flutist sets and costumes and dynamic lighting, Kate Steinbeck and violinist Jamie Laval provide the rich setting for this rare gem. have gathered an extraordinary group of Tickets range from $15-50 and are available chamber musicians, which Caleb Young will at the box office at (828) 257-4530. conduct. The principal roles will be danced Dunn has created a ballet based on by Asheville favorites, Lyle Laney and Alyssa the Romeo and Juliet story, but set in the Belcher. mountains outside of Asheville. She uses the The program also features a reprise of timeless classical ballet vocabulary, including the always-thrilling spiritual extravaganza, pointe shoes and the traditional pas de deux, Lauda Jerusalem, set to Vivaldi by world-rebut the costumes are mountain clothes from nowned choreographer, Rick McCullough, the early part of the last century, the set and scenes from the greatest classical ballet, reflects the simplicity of life in our magSwan Lake, envisioned and staged by Associnificent mountains, and the young lovers ate Artistic Director, Lyle Laney. are the children of two feuding mountain Now in its 13th season, Pan Harfamilies. monia embraces diverse chamber music One of the most exciting features of from Baroque times to the 21st century, this piece is the collaboration between two and has been nationally acclaimed for outstanding local performance organizations, its excellence, superb programming and Pan Harmonia and The Asheville Ballet. imaginative outreach. Kate Steinbeck Appalachian Spring will be performed founded Keowee Chamber Music–now in its original 1944 setting. This rarely proPan Harmonia– in 2001 with the goal of duced version, scored for 13 players: flute, bringing professional chamber music to clarinet, bassoon, bass, piano and double audiences of all ages. Her visionary work string quartet, is one of Copland’s most and artistic excellence has been nurtured exquisite works. and supported by the National EndowMany listeners will be familiar with the ‘Asheville Ballet’ continued on page 13 beautiful last movement of variations on the Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 9

fine arts & crafts Fiber Weekend and Clay Day at the Folk Art Center

Join us May 11 and 12 for the Folk Art Center’s celebration of textile arts during Fiber Weekend, and again on June 1 for Clay Day. Both events are sponsored by the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Throughout Fiber Weekend, craftspeople will be sharing their inspiration and expertise about textile arts. Educational craft demonstrations on Saturday will include natural dyeing, sheep shearing, weaving on a loom, tapestry weaving, knitting, crochet, and surface design. Southern Highland Craft Guild members Sandra Rowland and Jan Morris will host activities designed especially for children.

PG. 40

APRIL NANCE

On Sunday, the Folk Art Center’s auditorium will be transformed into a runway for the Fourteenth Annual Fashion Show of Wearable Art. Fiber artist Liz Spear will emcee the event. Styles showcased will range from contemporary to traditional, from funky to classic, Felting by Leslie Owens made by members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and other regional artists. Throughout the fashion show, Liz will explore many fiber art processes, and focus on the various schools and studios in the area which offer classes in textiles to everyone from the beginner to the experienced fiber artist. There will be two separate showings of the Fashion Show, at 1 and 3 p.m. Also coming up at the Folk Art Center is Clay Day on June 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This free event features Woven scarves by craft demonstrations and Pam Howard hands-on activities for children and adults. Clay Day has been a favorite happening at the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Folk Art Center for over 20 years. Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild demonstrate throwing on the potter’s wheel, hand building, and surface design on clay, among other techniques.

Deconstructed screenprinting on fabric by Betsy Morrill

PG. 40

IF YOU Fiber Weekend and Clay Day are a free events at GO the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in

east Asheville. For more information, visit www. craftguild.org or call (828) 298-7928.

10 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

fine art The Collection of the Wanderer

NEW ARRIVAL BY MASTER FLAMEWORKER JANIS MILTENBERGER Sculpture in borosilicate glass, by master flameworker Janis Miltenberger.

First Friday Ar t Walks April — DEcEmbEr 5-8 p m

Explore 25 downtown galleries, studios and museums f aturing changing exhibitions and opening receptions fe — all located within a half mile radius.

IF YOU The Bender Gallery, 12 S. GO Lexington Avenue in downtown

Asheville, next door to the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. The gallery’s hours are Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 noon to 5 p.m. For more information visit www.thebendergallery.com

Alexander & Lehnert

American Folk Art & Framing

Appalachian Craft Center

Ariel Gallery

Artetude Gallery

Asheville Art Museum

Asheville Gallery of Art

The Bender Gallery

Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center

blue

Blue Spiral 1

Castell Photography

www.DowntownAshevilleArtDistrict.org

the piece in magnificent detail using oil paints. The Collection of the Wanderer along with other work by Janis Miltenberger will be available for viewing during the First Friday Art Walk on May, 3 from 5 to 8 p.m. Also, new to the gallery is Seattle artist Carol Milne. Several of her knitted glass sculptures will be on exhibit.

Friday-Saturday 11-6 & by appointment

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The Bender Gallery is showcasing the arrival of The Collection of the Wanderer Collection Wanderer,, a llife ife size sculpture in borosilicate glass, by master flameworker Janis Miltenberger. Standing at 5'4", the sculpture is majestic in presence, yet simultaneously ethereal and delicate. Created with passion and precision, the organic sculpture is botanical and depicts a feminine figure consisting of vines and leaves adorned with a necklace dangling a golden key and clasping a strand of berries. On top of her head lays a gathering of eggs. The artist’s work employs extensive use of the narrative and often includes mythological and biblical references. The piece was created primarily using clear glass which allowed the artist to focus on the story, texture and structure of the piece without being distracted by the vibrancy of color. The artist then finished

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Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 11

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fine art

Kenilworth Artists Welcome Visitors on Memorial Day Weekend

Artists living and BY KATHIE KLINE working in Ashevilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic Kenilworth heard wherever Jordanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighborhood are tidying work is exhibited. up their studios for the anJordan looks for furninual two-day Kenilworth ture that â&#x20AC;&#x153;has good â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;bones,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Artists Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art great lines, interesting shapes Studio Tour on Memorial Chris Perryman, ebonized or a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;high-smile-factor.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Day Weekend: Saturday, accent bowl. single-handedly saved many May 25 and Sunday, May pieces from landfillsâ&#x20AC;Śitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. like going on a treasure hunt, This will be the plus itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the ultimate form of eighth art tour in the small recycling.â&#x20AC;? neighborhood where over Art is just one of forty artists live, work Jordanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passions, and the and flourish. This year, a Kenilworth neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diverse group of eighteen revival in recent years has painters, illustrators, potbeen attributed to her tireless ters, jewelers, glassworkcommitment to building a ers, bead artists and woodcommunity of active and workers will welcome civic-minded neighbors. The visitors into eight different art tours have sprung from studio locations. Four new Teddy Jordan, detail the resulting increased sense artists and one visiting of community. Prior to the artist are included in this development of the tour, yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tour. many neighborhood artists Chris Perryman, worked in isolation, unaware woodworker extraordithat other artists were living naire and owner of Goldall around them. splinter Woodworking â&#x20AC;&#x153;This tour promotes our Studio, returns again this awesome neighborhood and year with his collection of some of the truly creative, functional wooden items unique folks that live here. It for the home. A fourth Teddy Jordan, larger buffet also creates the opportunity generation woodworker for artists to gather, showcase, and promote with a BFA in visual art, he is continually their work.â&#x20AC;? refining distinctive and clean designs. His Local businesses are sponsoring the serving boards and vessels always delight tour, which is organized by the artists. tour-goers. Shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we say more about the neighborâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been concentrating on a line of hood businesses that are supporting us? functional objects for the kitchen and table Nancy Darrell will be a Visiting Artist again this year because I spend so much of from Madison County, and she will be my play time in the kitchen.â&#x20AC;? showing her woodcuts at Studio 1. When Perryman was eight years old, The Kenilworth Residents Association he completed his first project in wood. He will make lunches available in front of the sold his first piece of furniture at the age of Kenilworth Presbyterian Church during the twenty-one. Always open to exploring new tour, with proceeds going to the neighbormaterials and ideas, many of his conceptual hood organization. CafĂŠ menus will be pieces are sculptural as well as utilitarian. available at each artist studio. Teddy Jordan, President of the KeTour brochures with maps are available nilworth Residents Association, joins the at area art galleries, retail stores, hotels, and tour as an artist again, after several years of tourist information sites. A tour map and working behind the scenes to make the tour brochure can also be downloaded online at a success. A former corporate executive, Jorwww.KenilworthArtists.org. dan began painting reclaimed or abandoned Every year, each artist donates 5% furniture in 2004. of sales to Loving Foods Resources, the Her lifelong interest in color, patKenilworth-based charity that provides basic terns, illustrations and painting led her to necessities to people living with HIV/AIDS. develop a unique style that combines floral and geometric designs using acrylic paints. An element of surprise is the only thing thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s predictable on her pieces, such as little IF chicks lined up on the interior of a drawer. YOU Additional information, photos, GO and tour map can be found by Squeals of delight and laughter are often visiting www.kenilworthartists.org

captivating performances HART PRESENTS

Pan Harmonia Concerts

Welcome to Mitford

Pan Harmonia presents additional performances of Aaron Copland’s exquisite Appalachian Spring.

The Haywood Arts Regional Theater presents a stage adaptation of one of the countries most popular series of novel’s. “Welcome to Mitford” is adapted by Robert Inman and based on the Mitford books by Jan Karon. Karon is prolific, the series contains nine novels, all set in the fictional town of Mitford and centering on the character of Father Tim Kavanaugh, an Episcopal priest in a small North Carolina town. The play takes the highlights and condenses the action into two acts, spanning ten years. Father Tim moves from scene to scene, as we are introduced to over twenty

HART's production of Welcome to Mitford, runs from May 2 through May 5.

characters in the town. The play is described as a dramatic comedy. The adaptation premiered in 2010 in Blowing Rock and HART’s scenic artist, Lyle Baskin created the original sets for the premier production. Karon is a native of Lenor, and moved to Blowing Rock when she began writing. Mitford is inspired by that community. For many the series is reminiscent Andy Griffith’s fictional town of Mayberry. Small North Carolina towns make a good backdrop from eccentric characters, southern humor, and heartwarming tales. HART’s production is being directed by Wanda Taylor, and will feature Bill Cannon as Father Tim. Others in the cast include Chris McClure, George Freeman, Teresa Breakey, John Winfield, Marilyn Bledsoe, Bob Greenalch, Aaron Hunt, San Greenalch, Ryan Peterson, Charles Marth, Holly Ann Harmon, Buffy Queen, Chase Wells, Raymond Yarnatoski, Liam Peterson, Scott

‘Asheville Ballet’ continued from page 9

ment for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Council. Part of this May project has been underwritten by an Arts and Audience grant from the NC Arts Council. Now in it 50th season, The Asheville Ballet is one of Western North Carolina’s oldest non-profit arts organizations, and is North Carolina’s oldest non-profit ballet company. Incorporated in 1963, the company has created and presented work in Asheville every year since, and has travelled to Yale, New York, Atlanta, Italy, and France. In an average season, Asheville Ballet’s formal and educational outreach programming affects a culturally diverse audience of approximately 23,000 people. Internationally acclaimed Artistic Director, Ann Dunn, has been at the helm since 1980, and has received over $100,000 in grants from local, state, federal, and private funding sources. Currently an Assistant Conductor for

Pan Harmonia’s Kate Steinbeck collaborated with Asheville Ballet’s Ann Dunn to create An Appalachian Romance.

the Indiana University Philharmonic, Caleb Young has worked intensely with Maestro David Effron on works such as Mahler’s 6th Symphony. In the spring, Caleb is scheduled to cover the IU Symphony Orchestra, and assist Civic Orchestra’s own Principal

Shanken, Bonnie DeMarco, Mark Highsmith, Amy Hunt, Zak Shanken, Sandra Parker, Isaac Brooks, Kaitlyn Putnam, Lee Hardin, Kari Putnam, and Stephen Goss. Taylor has worked hard to assemble a strong cast and recapture as much of the magic of the novels as possible. She is well aware that many coming to see this production will have vivid images of the town and its characters. IF YOU HART presents “Welcome to GO Mitford” May 2, 3, 4 at 7:30 and

May 5 at 3 p.m. Tickets: $20 for Adults; $18 for Seniors; Student/ Teachers $10; Special $6 discount tickets for Students and Teachers for Thursday and Sundays. To make reservations call the Box Office Monday through Friday from 1-5 p.m. or go online to www.harttheatre.com. All performances are at the Performing Arts Center at the Shelton House, 250 Pigeon St. in downtown Waynesville.

Conductor, Cliff Colnot on a program featuring Shostakovich’s 9th Symphony. Caleb has served as Assistant Conductor to Arthur Fagan and the Atlanta Opera in their production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. During his time at the Jacobs School of Music, Caleb has organized many “Sunday Series” ad hoc orchestra concerts. These concerts have featured a vast range of repertoire from Rossini to Khachaturian. He has also conducted the IU Symphony Orchestra in the world premier of Carlo Vincetti Frizzo’s Marfa Lights. Caleb is Co-Founder and Music Director of the Capstone Chamber Orchestra and founder of the Atlanta Chamber Orchestra. IF YOU For more information on this GO unique local collaboration, please

contact Ann Dunn at ann.dunn@ mindspring.com or (828) 215-3728. Visit our web sites at www.ashevilleballet.com and www.pan-harmonia.org .

Two all-music offerings; one at the Masonic Temple in Asheville, and one at the White Horse Tavern in Black Mountain. Fellow Pulitzer winner Samuel Barber’s emotive “Adagio” for Strings Quartet joins the bill in addition to two East Coast premieres: “Gaia” for String Quartet and Flute by Californian composer William Bradbury and “Two Pantomimes”” by master Scottish fiddler and violinist, Jamie Laval. Chip Kaufmann of WCQS generously shares his insights in free pre-concert talks, 30 minutes prior to each show. Performances held Sunday, May 19 at 5 p.m., at the Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway St., downtown Asheville, and Thursday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m., at the White Horse, 105 Montreat Road, Black Mountain. Tickets are $12 in advance, $5 for students, and are available at www. pan-harmonia.org/shop. Or pay $15 at the door.

2nd Sunday @ 5 Pan Harmonia at the Altamont Rosalind Buda, bassoon and Scottish smallpipes, Vance Reese piano and bass, with guest artist EJ Jones, bagpipes. Enjoy winsome musical treats for a “reed-rich” Mother’s Day! Experience sonorous double reed sounds on bassoon and the sweet Scottish smallpipes, featuring the music of Edward Elgar, William Hurlestone, Eugene Bozza, WA Mozart Rosalind Buda and arrangements of French Baroque dance tunes for bassoon and pipes. Sunday, May 12 at 5 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance, $5 for students, and are available at www.pan-harmonia. org/shop. Or pay $15 at the door. The Altamont Theatre, 18 Church Street, downtown Asheville. For more details visit www.myaltamont.com

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 13

books ~ poetry ~ readings

The Poet’s Voice

What an outrageous spring! I find myself walking around waving at mountains quoting e.e. cummings, “i thank you, god, for most this amazing day/for the leaping greenly spirit of trees,/ and a the blue true dream of sky,” and so on. I am stopped in my tracks by peach, cherry, and strawberry blossoms in my yard. How do you put this exhuberance into words? I believe you must READ poetry. For Spring, you can’t do better than Mary Oliver, e.e. cummings, Gerard Manley Hopkins, John Muir, (not a poet, but an ecstatic writer), Wendell Berry, Annie Dillard, a wonderer over nature, and Stanley Kunitz, the poet gardener. Harvest the flow and rhythm of the seasons, our rivers and mountain cascades, the rise and fall of tides, written by poets you call by their first names: Emily, Jane, Keith, Naomi, Lucille, Jim and Billy. Next, go to a library or your favorite independent book store and ask for the following books on writing: If You Want To Write by Brenda Ueland, Graywolf Press A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver - Harcourt Brace and Co. Blue Pastures by Mary Oliver, Harcourt Brace and Co. The Poetry Home Repair Manual: Practical Advice to Beginning Poets by Ted Kooser, University of Nebraska Press Making Your Own Days: The Pleasure of Reading and Writing Poetry by Kenneth Kock Nine Gates: Entering the Mind of Poetry by Jane Hirshfield, Harper Collins My mentor, poet, Jim Moore, recommended two books. One is by poet, Mary Ruefle, Madness, Rack, and Honey: Collected Lectures by Wave Books, 2012, the other, Airmail: The Letters of Robert Bly and

BY CAROL PEARCE BJORLIE – THE POET BEHIND THE CELLO

Tomas Transtromer, Graywolf Press. I have both on order at Accent on Books. Poetry is happening in Asheville this May. Check out the LEAF Festival, Blue Ridge Book Fest (May 17 and 18 at Blue Ridge Community College), and Word Fest at Asheville’s Lenoir-Rhyne University (May 4 and 5). Western North Carolina’s small towns have poetry writers and lovers, too: think Scott Owens in Hickory, Glenda Beale in Murphy, and Christine Ardvison in West Jefferson. In fact, here are the Wordkeepers dates for the remainder of the year: June 15, August 17, October 19, and December 21. Events are free, refreshments provided, at the Ashe County Arts Center in West Jefferson. 5 minute open mic slots, call (336) 489-0066 to sign up. Music at 3 p.m.; readings at 4 p.m. Everyone is invited. My last poetic gasp – If you missed Keith Flynn’s reading at Malaprops, you missed IT! It was an evening of Keith’s bluesy voice, and the music of his words. Rhett Butler would give his left spur to sound like Keith Flynn. Keith’s sung blues set the mood for the poems that followed. His book, Colony Collapse Disorder, published by Wings Press this spring, is full of buzz. So were his comments: “Poetry requires a life-long commitment. Poetry is the highest compliment we can give. Congress has the same rating as the ebola virus. The living word is God. Poetry is music. Music has the ability to persuade without argument. Poetry needs silence – white space.” See, you should have been there! Contact Carol at thepoetsvoicerr@yahoo.com

And Then I Found You WRITTEN BY PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY

As friends and family know, I’m a As sucker for a good novel based in the South. There’s something about being able to picture the characters where they live and breathe, and since the Southeast is literally my stomping ground, it was easy for me to settle in and get down to brass tacks while reading Patti Callahan Henry’s brand spanking new novel, And Then I Found You, which takes place (for the most part) in Bluffton, South Carolina and Birmingham, Alabama. Kate Vaughn and Jack Adams fall in love as children but, as in reality, allow life, experiences, unexpected events and distance to get between them as adults. This separation has a more far reaching effect than simply the two characters healing broken hearts and moving on, what transpires between them ignites a series of events that cannot be easily undone or atoned. Together they must mend their fences and accept what life has intended for them, reintroduce themselves to the part of them

Sam’s Place

Experience the gamut of life in this collection of connected stories. Bob Mustin’s Sam’s Place is a great new collection of interwoven stories that give readers a peek inside the lives of Sam Witherspoon’s rural pool hall patrons. Step inside Sam’s and you can play a game of eight ball, nurse a beer, or get to know a wayward preacher, a reformed hooker, an Iraq vet amputee — or Sam himself. You may watch a baby being born or see a deadly knife fight, but Sam’s always there

REVIEWED BY

BETH GOSSETT that was thought to be in the past. At its core, Henry has made And Then I Found You a story of love lost, love found and redemption. This is the first novel I have read by Patti Callahan Henry, so I was not sure what to expect when I began reading And Then I Found You. I knew I was sucked in when I had only meant to read the first 20 pages before going to work, and it wound up being 50, and then another quick 20 at lunchtime. I simply had to know what Kate’s next move would be or what Jack would say when Kate showed back up in his life again after years of being apart. Yes, I felt like I was there…and ready to referee if things got out of control, but I remained cool and let the plot play out. Henry has a new biggest fan, right here, in my favorite recliner as I pause to consider which of her books I will read next.

to manage everything from birth to death with a righteous cant. Pull up a chair and get to know the locals in this powerful and entertaining world that is Sam’s Place. Bob Mustin has had a brief naval career and a longer one as a civil engineer, and has been a North Carolina Writers Network writer-in-residence at Peace College under the late Doris Betts’ guiding hand. His work has been published widely in both print and electronic forms.

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14 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

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authors ~ books ~ readings

Worthy Summer Reading

Most summer reading lists are suggestions from the year’s “page-turning” fiction, books that I often put down half-way through. Why not spend the summer reading high-quality books that will stay with you all year long? Here are my suggestions for a wide variety of good summer reading.

Two Local Literary Icons, Inspiring Historical Sites, and More You always said you were going to do it – so why not this summer? Read the novels and short story collections of one of America’s greatest authors, Asheville native son, Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938), from Look Homeward, Angel (1929) to Y You Can’t Go Home Again (1940). Ted Mitchell’s Thomas Wolfe: An Illustrated Biography (2006) is an essential Wolfe companion. Visit the Thomas Wolfe Memorial House downtown, next to the Renaissance Hotel. (www.wolfememorial.com) Two-time Pulitzer prize winner (for poetry and for his monumental history of President Abraham Lincoln) Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) was the most the “American” of American writers. His Rootabaga Stories are an exciting way for parents to introduce their children to Sandburg's wildly inventive work. Visit the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site for literary inspiration as well as the antics of the famous goat herd. (www.nps.go/carl). The superb feature-length documentary, The Day Sandburg Died Died, made by Asheville’s Bonesteel Films, captures the “Poet of the People” and his impact on the country. The libraries have copies for free.

Audio Books for Long Drives with Kids Nothing is more fun for adults and children together than listening to J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books (Listening Audio) narrated by the brilliant Jim Dale, who created a distinct voice for every character in the series. For teenagers, consider The Hunger Game series by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic Audio)

Audio Book for Informed Citizens Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power Power, written and narrated by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. Investigative journalism at its best – disconcerting but riveting analysis on why we seem to be in perpetual war. Don’t

REVIEWED BY

MARCIANNE MILLER

think President Obama’s policies come off unscathed. (Random House Audio)

Everything You Wanted to Know About Appalachian Magic Former Rapid River contributor and Asheville’s internationally recognized “Village Witch,” H. Byron Ballard, shares the fading legacy of her family’s “Granny” traditions. A fun and informative read, part memoir, part primer. Staubs & Ditchwater: A Friendly and Useful Introduction to Hillfolks’ Hoodoo (Silver Rings Press, 2012). For more details on Ballard and her workshops: www.myvillagewitch.com.

Lightweight Entertainment For a few weeks before you pack, do what I did last year — clip all the terrific articles, interviews and reviews about everything and everyone happening in music and more in Asheville, written by Alli Marshall, prolific Arts & Entertainment editor of the Mountain Xpress weekly newspaper. While waiting in airports or ensconced underneath a beach umbrella, peel off one story after another—each one is a gem. Then discard. Result: no worries about losing an expensive book—and you’ve now got plenty of room in your suitcase for souvenirs.

Hard-Hitting Appalachian Mystery After an 8-year publication absence, Sallie Bissell has returned with a new Mary Crow suspense novel and I couldn’t be more pleased. Music of Ghosts (Midnight Ink) is fifth in the series— with its moody mountain setting, its ancient hurts and its gruesome and mysterious present, the novel is well worth the wait. Not for the faint of heart. (www.salliebissell.com)

Literary Appalachia Dale Neal, prize-winning Asheville Citizen-Times reporter, just published his second novel. The Half-Life of Home is a heart-rending tale of an old mountain tradition —love of the land and the loss a family attached to it must endure. Neal appears at the Blue Ridge Bookfest, Blue Ridge Community College Henderson County Campus, May 17-18. (www.blueridgebookfest.org, wwwdalenealbooks.com)

Humorous Small-Town Southern Life Hendersonville novelist Ann B. Ross continues her bestselling series about the ageless Miss Julia and her kooky family and friends. Book #14, Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble, is a hilarious tale about the Abbotsville women trying to give cooking lessons to Hazel Marie, the helpless mother of new twins. New Miss Julia fans, get up to speed with Ross’ helpful website (www.missjulia. com). Ross will talk and sign her book at Writers at Wolfe, Thomas Wolfe Home, Asheville, at 12 noon on Saturday, July 13.

Fascinating Local History In Asheville author Denise Kiernan’s bestselling new book, she reveals a chapter of U.S. history that few people know about--the women who worked in the Manhattan project’s top secret uranium enrichment facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee—The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II. (www.denisekiernan.com)

Asheville’s Best Kept “Renaissance Man” Secret Everything that Tuckasagee resident Thomas Rain Crowe writes is wonderful—essays, short stories, translations, and most especially his poetry. His 30 books are full of adventures, exquisite nature observations, and aching romance. Never heard of him, you say? That’s because Crowe doesn’t toot his own horn—which is odd because he’s a fine musician. His latest book of poetry, Crack Light (Wind Publications, 2011, beautifully illustrated with photos by Simone Lipscomb), is unique in his oeuvre because it’s focused on the land and people of our Blue Ridge Mountains. Enjoy the poems at the same time you read Crowe’s unforgettable memoir, Zoro’s Field: My Life in the Appalachian Woods (Univ. of Georgia Press, 2005), about his extraordinary experience of living alone in a cabin in the woods for over four years. (www.newnativepress.com)

MAY

We host numerous Readings, Bookclubs, as well as Poetrio!

PARTIAL LISTING Visit www.malaprops.com

READINGS & BOOKSIGNINGS Tuesday, May 7 at 7 p.m. PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY, And Then I Found You. Thursday, May 9 at 7 p.m. ELSIE AUGUSTAVE, The Roving Tree. Friday, May 10 at 7 p.m. RHONDA RILEY, The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope. Saturday, May 11 at 7 p.m. We’ll Never Have Paris, Andria Alephi and David Cole. Monday, May 13 at 7 p.m. CHERI HUBER, I Don’t Want To, I Don’t Feel Like It. Tuesday, May 14 at 7 p.m. Whole-Self Healing with MICHELE FULLER. Wednesday, May 15 at 7 p.m. STUART HORWITZ, Blueprint Your Bestseller. Thursday, May 16 at 7 p.m. JEFF CHU, Does Jesus Really Love Me? Friday, May 17 at 7 p.m. JON BUCHAN, Code of the Forest. Monday, May 20 at 7 p.m. EDMUND WHITE, Jack Holmes and His Friend. Wednesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. EMMA BROCKES, She Left Me the Gun. Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m. DANIEL WALLACE, The Kings and Queens of Roam. Friday, May 24 at 7 p.m. NEAL THOMPSON, Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert Ripley. Monday, May 27 at 7 p.m. KATEY SCHULTZ, Flashes of War. Tuesday, May 28 at 7 p.m. NORA GASKIN, Until Proven: A Mystery in Two Parts. Wednesday, May 29 at 7 p.m. ERIKA ROBUCK, Call Me Zelda. Thursday, May 30 at 7 p.m. SUFI PIR SHABDA KAHN, Physicians of the Heart. Friday, May 31 at 7 p.m. LURLENE MCDANIEL & LAUREN MORRILL, authors of young adult novels.

55 Haywood St.

828-254-6734 • 800-441-9829

Monday-Saturday 9AM to 9PM PG. 40 Sunday 9AM to 7PM M

Marcianne Miller is an Asheville writer/reviewer. She can be reached at marci@aquamystique.com.

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 15

spinning discs

Not as much music as usual but what is there is choice. Be sure to support our local record stores while digging the music that matters.

CD Reviews by James Cassara

Billy Bragg

Eric Burdon

Tooth and Nail Cooking Vinyl Records

‘Til Your River Runs Dry ABKCO/ Universal Records

For all his leftist leanings, none of which he has ever tried to hide, Billy Bragg has always spoken from, and on matters of, the heart. Even his fiercest political diatribes have been tempered with compassion, both for those who have in his eyes done wrong to others and to those who have been wronged. It’s that inherent balance that has kept Bragg from devolving into the sort of bitterness that has tainted (for instance) the music of Lucinda Williams and Morrissey – both of whom I admire – and others. And for a guy who spends so much time pointing out the failings of our political and economic systems he’s got one hell of sense of humor. Nowhere is this better evidenced than in Tooth and Nail,, Bragg’s first studio effort in five years and an album that demonstrates a further shift towards internal reflection and a general acceptance that sometimes this is how things are. It is no accident that he starts the opening track (“January Song”) with the lyric “I’m so tightly wound” and finishes it with “This is how the world ends.” He’s still pretty pissed at things – as well he should be – but at the age of 56 he understands that he can either choose his battles or be overwhelmed. The beautifully mournful “Your Name on My Tongue” is among his more intimate offerings, one that suggests some type of emotional upheaval that sent Bragg to the California studio basement of ace producer Joe Henry to heal. With a shared loved of rural Americana the two make a perfect pair, with Henry challenging and channeling Bragg in ways that suit him best. With the exception of the rough and tumble “No One Knows Anything Anymore” and the wildly raucous “Tomorrow’s Going To Be A Better Day”, which closes the album on a rather joyous and hopeful note, much of Tooth and Nail is a more subdued Billy Bragg then you’re like used to, or even comfortable with. Even his reading of Woody Guthrie’s “I Ain’t Got No Home” seems more reflective than accusatory. As such Tooth and Nail seems to mark a new direction for Bragg, one that moves away from the angry anarchist of old and towards a more sensible guy just trying to make the world a better place. I’ll maybe miss the old Billy Bragg but I rather suspect whatever lies ahead for him will be every bit as wonderful. **** 16 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

Eric Burdon has proudly declared ‘Til Your River Runs Dry “the most personal record I’ve ever made” which, given that he’s been in this game for nearly a half century, is a pretty bold statement. After his original tenure with the Animals – who at the peak of the British invasion years were nearly as big as The Stones – and his two year stint with War, Burdon effectively slipped into the background. Sure he kept working, but until his 1994 reemergence at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, at which The Animals were rightfully inducted as the pioneers they were, a lot of people likely assumed he’d dropped out of the business. He’d kept touring and occasionally recording – largely returning to the blues music he so dearly loves – but it was a relatively low key existence, and one that suited him just fine. All that ended when at the 2102 SXSW keynote address Bruce Springsteen recalled Burdon as one of his own greatest influences, acknowledged Burdon for his enormous contributions, and invited the then 71 year old master to join him onstage. The crowd went nuts and Burdon was suddenly pushed back to center stage.

Burdon affirms the present by leaning on tradition, reviving the menacing minor-key rock of the Animals... Wisely capitalizing upon his raised profile, he cut a quick and dirty (and pretty terrific) indie EP with Cincinnati rockers the Greenhornes before signing up with Abkco, who just happen to own The Animals back catalog. The result is ‘Til Your River Runs Dry,, his first high-profile record in eons and his first album of largely original material since 2004. At this late stage, Burdon is hardly looking to reinvent himself – preferring instead to stick to his basics – but in no way does he sound the least bit stale. He affirms the present by leaning on tradition, reviving the menacing minor-key rock of the Animals, touching upon a bit of War’s multi-cultural funk, indulging his love of the blues, all while reflecting on growing old, waging a bit of social protest, and willfully admitting that

that “Old Habits Die Hard.” He will in no way go gently into the night; if Neil Young sang about it (just as he became increasingly irrelevant) being “better to burn out than to fade away” then Eric Burdon, who nearly did fade out, believes it to his core. Burdon sounds like a man possessed, pouring everything into this album, knowing it might just be his final shot at again grabbing that golden ring. Given his glorious history Eric Burdon has nothing to prove, but in this old fashioned, tough as nails rock and roll album he manages to remind us who and what he is. *****

Todd May Rickenbacker Girls Redeye Music As the longtime guitarist for Lydia Loveless, as well as having fronted the 1990’s near miss band The Lily Bandits, Todd May has certainly paid his dues. That group flirted around the edges of commercial success but their brand of Southern soul with a strong punk ethos was probably a decade ahead of its time. Since then, May, while still touring with Loveless, has simultaneously played with both The Mooncussers and Fort Shame, two more bands that are *this close* to breaking through. So May is a pretty busy guy, which means he is getting around to finally releasing his own solo outing is a cause to celebrate. Especially given how assertive, focused, and flat out good it is. Rickenbacker Girls brims with confidence, both in May’s full throat singing (although he certainly knows when and how to dial it down) and consistently stylish guitar work. His soul strumming brings to mind Duke Robillard (not so much in technique as much as feeling) while his vocals come across as a less bitter and time worn Steve Earle. It’s a winning combination, buoyed by May’s solid songwriting and keen ear. The title track is a nod to the young pretties he encountered at Rickenbacker Air Force base, not far from his Northern Kentucky home, while “Left to Your Own Devices” points to the follies he sees in others (as well as his own), or, as May declares in the liner notes, “absence makes the heart go yonder.” For Rickenbacker Girls Todd May has wisely utilized some of his best friends and top players, but the center of attention is exactly where it should be. With this album he steps out of the shadows and right into ‘CD’s’ continued on page 15

sound experience The Artistic Purity of

Leon Redbone

BY JAMES

With his gravelly baritone and ever present fedora, dark shades, and Groucho Marx inspired mustache, the neo-vaudevillian performer, Leon Redbone, has always cast a shadow far larger than his diminutive frame.

The very definition of “cult artist” Redbone has amassed a faithful cadre of fans whose allegiance to him is as resilient as Redbone is to the stylistic whims of the day. In many ways Redbone is the aural equivalent of cartoonist Robert Crumb: Both are rooted in an era long past, fiercely determined to preserve its heritage, and both were begrudgingly dragged into the realm of commercial enterprise. But while R. Crumb has opened his life story to the press – often with excruciating and even embarrassing precision – Leon Redbone has steadfastly refused to divulge even the slightest details about his background or personal life. There’s an urban legend (and if it’s not true it ought to be!) that when Redbone was approached by the famed producer John Hammond, the contact number he gave was that of a dial-a-joke service. He has never given what might be called a proper interview, and even his

‘CD’s’ continued from page 14

the spotlight, and while I’ve enjoyed his work elsewhere he’s always welcome to release an album as solid as this. ****

Alien Music Club Dosta While the latest offering from Alien Musical Club (essentially one man band Jonathon Pearlman) arrived too late for me to review it in detail I would love to direct you to their website (www.alienmusicclub.com) in hopes that you’ll give them a listen and get a taste of what they (he) are all about. My first impressions are all positive, and I look forward to exploring the album in greater detail. Rest assured that DOSTA will be getting the full Rapid River coverage in our next issue!

own website has no information about the artist, focusing instead on upcoming shows and appearances. However a few facts regarding his life are known, or at least generally accepted. Because he first emerged as a performer in Toronto during the 1970s, Redbone is believed to be Canadian. His work, a revivalist mix of pre-World War II ragtime, jazz, and blues, recalls the artistry of performers ranging from Jelly Roll Morton and Bing Crosby to blackface star Emmett Miller. He made his recording debut in 1976 with On the Track, which featured legendary jazz violinist Joe Venuti as well as singer/songwriter Don McLean. His 1977 follow-up Double Time charted him his only top 40 record, largely on the strength of his frequent appearances on television’s Saturday Night Live. After 1978’s Champagne Charlie (generally considered his strongest studio effort)

Leon Redbone is known for his distinctive hat, sunglasses and mustache. Photo by Patricia De Gorostarzu

Redbone’s recordings became increasingly irregular, often going years between releases. Following 1981’s Branch to Branch, he scaled back his touring schedule, taking a four year hiatus before reentering the studio to cut Red to Blue. Invariably, his albums featured guest appearances from an eclectic cast of luminaries: 1987’s Christmas Island included a cameo by Dr. John, while 1994’s Whistling in the Wind featured duets with Ringo Starr and Merle Haggard. Redbone’s last studio album, 2001’s Any

James McCartney Follows in His Father’s Footsteps: Sort of…

James McCartney CD collection of those likes to make it clear albums with five newly that he’s his own man recorded songs. and musician but, unThe discs feature like other offspring of original material – along famous figures he finds with covers of his dad’s no honesty in ignoring friends Neil Young his father’s enormous and Carl Perkins – that legacy. Yes, he’s the son demonstrates James’ gift of THAT McCartney, for supple arrangements, and while James has natural buoyancy, and an played on a few of his uncanny knack for engagdad’s records – specifiing hooks. And, yes, he cally adding bits of guitar inherited those traits from to 2005’s Chaos and his dad, but that’s in no Creation in the Backyard way a bad thing! McCartJames McCartney Photo: MJ Kim & Brian Moghadam – his own recording efney now heads towards forts have been intentionwhat he intends to be his ally tenuous. break out period, releasing his first fullMcCartney has meticulously offered a length album and embarking on a forty-seven pair of internet only EPs, ((Available Light date, twenty-seven state tour of the USA. and Close at Hand) and has only recently He’s now set to release his first full-length released his first physical album, a two album, Me, May 21 on ECR Music Group.

CASSARA

Time was his mostly heavily leaning jazz effort, showcasing contributions from such luminaries as guitarist Frank Vignola, reedman Ken Peplowski, and bassist Jay Leonhart. Since then he’s released one live effort, a somewhat tepid 2005 Paris performance that failed to replicate the intense experience of a seeing him onstage, while increasingly marketing his songs to various television advertising campaigns. And if the notion of a reclusive artist – anchored to a musical period nearly eighty years past – allowing his songs to be used to advance consumerism strikes you as perverse, then you’re getting some sense of the paradox that is Leon Redbone. Like the aforementioned Crumb, he is truly an enigma. And while he has not found a level of widespread commercial success even close to that of Robert Crumb, the two share a similar determination to maintain artistic purity, even in the face of today’s ever shifting artistic vanities. IF YOU The legendary Leon Redbone GO at the Altamont Theatre. This

show has been rescheduled to October 4 at 8 p.m. For more details go to www.myaltamont.com

BY JAMES

CASSARA

“For my first album I wanted to make a record that would be intimate, deeply personal, and honest,” says McCartney. “An album that would say, ‘This is who I am…both musically and personally. This is me.” The tour reflects this singular idea. No band, just solo McCartney on guitar and piano, allowing his voice, songwriting, and musicianship to take center stage. “Some artists are happy doing the same thing again and again, but my favorite artists are the ones who evolve and grow, and I want to be one of them,” says McCartney. It’s a sentiment that has served great artists well – including a certain former Beatle – and one which will hopefully launch the next phase of James McCartney’s journey. IF YOU James McCartney at the Altamont GO on Monday, May 28 at 8 p.m.

The Altamont Theatre, 18 Church St., Asheville. For tickets, show times, and more information, call (828) 270-7747 or visit www.myAltamont.com

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 17

sound experience

The Howlin’ Brothers at The Grey Eagle

With their traditional flannel shirts, denim overalls and plow boy hats The Howlin’ Brothers, who are not related by birth, may look like a bluegrass band but the music they create, while integrating specific bluegrass trappings and rhythms, clearly defines them as a modern day Americana string band. In the finest custom of the genre, which has always lent itself to contemporary adaptations, The Howlin’ Brothers The Howlin’ Brothers: Ian Craft, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, combine aspects of rock, pop, vocals; Ben Plasse, upright bass, banjo, vocals; Jared gospel, jazz, R&B, Dixieland, Green, guitar, harmonica, vocals. country blues, and who knows what else into the mix. The singular Formed in Ithaca, New York at Ithaca thread that hews together these various College in 2003, the Howlin’ Brothers patchworks is a commitment to musical (Ben Plasse on upright bass and banjo, Ian diversity and artistic growth. Craft on fiddle, mandolin, and banjo, and

Jared Green on guitar and harmonica; with all three sharing vocals and harmonies) developed an avid following by way of their vibrant, foot-stomping live performances. In 2005 the trio decided to pull up stakes and relocate to the warmer climes of Nashville. Knowing the long odds of staking an individual claim in such a saturated environment the band went straight to work, recording three self-released albums, Mountain Songs, Long Hard Year, and Baker St. Blues in a span of five short years. Old Time All the Time, a compilation of live performances sold only at shows, caught the ear of guitarist/songwriter Brendan Benson of The Raconteurs. Benson, whose musical tastes are firmly anchored in the 1970’s. Benson brought a more current ethos to The Howlin’ Brothers, encouraging them to broaden their approach while maintaining the stylistic integrity they had fashioned.

WNC Jazz Profiles: One Leg Up

~ Michael Dregni, author of “Django: the Life and Music of a Gypsy Legend” it - and acoustic often musicians gravitate to Gypsy Jazz. The virtuosity and timbre of the format resembles American roots and presents the challenge of learning a new genre.” “If you Google “one leg up,” part of the results you’ll see include a NYC sexy swingers club with the same name! One Leg Up swings in a much different way, but it’s sexy nonetheless! The collective prowess each player brings to the hot club sounds they draw from, takes one back to a Parisian time when romance and sex were synonymous.”

~ Vocalist Peggy Ratusz “The band began at The Café Soleil in Asheville and we performed there weekly for a-year-and-a-half. One Leg Up has a long history of working at The Biltmore and Grove Park Inn. We’ve been at the Savannah Jazz Festival, Franklin Jazz Festival, SC Jazz Festival, LEAF, Bele Chere and numerous smaller festivals and civic concerts. There’s great support for Gypsy Jazz in Asheville. That doesn’t appear to be representative of everywhere else, but it’s a little different here.” Propelled by their excellent self-produced debut recording “Gypsy Blue,” One

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One Leg Up

Leg Up soon won critical acclaim for their “hot club” prowess and was tapped to back up award-winning Spanish guitarist Pere Soto on some of his 2005 U.S. tour dates. Also in 2005, One Leg Up performed at a concert and book show with Michael Dregni, author of Django: The Life and Music of a Gypsy Legend. “One Leg Up plays Gypsy jazz with conviction. On the sextet’s debut “Gypsy Blue” (Minor Swing Records), the solos come fast and furious from their two solo guitarists, violinist, and clarinetist. This adds up to an interesting and varied voice from the devoted band on covers of Djamelodies, American jazz standards, and hot Latin pieces such as a rollicking “Tico Tico.”

~ MD, Vintage Guitar Magazine, August 2005

CASSARA

That association has resulted in the band’s first national release. Howl, with Benson producing and featuring contributions from Allman Brother (and Asheville native) Warren Haynes, was released by Benson’s own Readymade Records earlier this spring. In support of the album The Howlin’ Brothers have launched their most extensive tour yet. That tour includes a May 11 show at The Grey Eagle, a chance to celebrate the full blossom of spring with some fine music. IF YOU The Howlin’ Brothers at The GO Grey Eagle on Saturday, May 11.

The doors open at 8p.m. for this standing room only, foot stomping 9 p.m. show. Tickets are $8 in advance, and $10 day of. It’s an all age performance, so feel free to bring the kids!

“One Leg Up is a ticket back in time to 1930s Paris and the glory years of Django Reinhardt. Listening to their music, you can taste the red wine, relish the glamour of the City of Lights, and feel the deep vibe of Gypsy jazz. Vas-y! Vas-y!”

Based in Asheville, One Leg Up performs a vibrant mixture of upbeat Gypsy Jazz, Latin, Swing and original jazz compositions and is a favorite of club, concert and festival stages throughout the southeastern United States. Consisting of John Stineman (guitar, vocals), Jim Tanner (guitar), Zack Page (bass), Mike Guzalak (clarinet, sax) and Steve Trismen (violin, vocals), One Leg Up was formed in 2003 as a “String Swing” band in the style of famed French Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. I asked John what it is about their style that most appeals to audiences. “Gypsy Jazz has become much more popular in the U.S. and Canada over the past 10 years, not so much revived as discovered. Listeners often equate it with something they’re familiar with. We’ve all heard it in its true form to some degree. While not prevalent, it’s present in movies, television, many commercials and on radio.” And what appeals to the musicians? “The tastes of a maturing generation of capable musicians and the accessibility of recordings and instructional material have led to more non-Europeans delving into

BY JAMES

EDDIE LESHURE

Over the years, One Leg Up has broadened its repertoire to include fresh arrangements of Django classics, vocal harmonies, original compositions, and innovative adaptations of classic jazz numbers in the French “hot club” and American “big band” styles. Now more than just a Django band, their latest recording “Pere La Chaise” is a music mix that is danceable and accessible and continues to attract a growing, varied, and enthusiastic fan base with music that always swings. “We all LOVE One Leg Up for their irrepressible and seamless sound. I’m a huge fan of them individually, and particularly Zack Page – his marvelous work deeply affects every group he honors with his presence.”

~ Vocalist Heather Masterton www.onelegupjazz.com/events.htm

Eddie LeShure is a jazz radio host, currently offthe-air, who encourages all readers to enthusiastically support local jazz.

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 19

INTERVIEW WITH DOUG AND JENNY BOWMAN, OWNERS OF BLACK MOUNTAIN’S

The Red Rocker Inn

The Red Rocker Inn Photo by Erica Mueller

Located on one acre of carefully landscaped grounds in the charming mountain town of Black Mountain NC, The Red Rocker Inn is perfectly situated just off the beautiful NC Blue Ridge Parkway, only 10 miles east of Asheville North Carolina.

Rapid River Magazine: Tell us

a little about the history of Red Rocker Inn.

Doug and Jenny Bowman: This

beautiful old Victorian home was built in 1896 by Silas and Jimmy Dougherty, long time residents of the Swannanoa Valley. Silas named their house “MountainView” and about the turn of the century they started taking in summer boarders. After their three children grew up and left home they decided to officially open as an inn. The house was renamed “The Dougherty Heights Inn” and was known as such until the 1950’s. The three story wing on the south side of the house was added about 1915 and extended the number of bedrooms to about 26, with 5 bathrooms. We still have four old clawfoot tubs and seven fireplaces from the original structure. The family sold the inn in the 1970’s when it was renamed “The Red Rocker Inn”. During the 1980’s renovation began and today

DENNIS RAY

we have 17 guest rooms, all with private ensuite bathrooms. The tradition of fine dining continues as well.

RRM: It’s a wonderful place to get

away for a couple days even if you happen to live in the area. What are some of the attractions and things to do in Black Mountain you recommend?

DJB: Well, maybe we like the simple

things, but really, the mountains speak for themselves. Beside this stunning creation, what else compares? We love simply driving the Blue Ridge Parkway and hiking, berry picking, rock hopping. We’re close to Chimney Rock Park and Catawba Falls. And Black Mountain, which is a captivating little town, is charmingly situated right in the midst of all this natural beauty. It packs a lot of interest and charm into its small size. There are a variety of shops, galleries, churches, classes, studios, gatherings, music, and some great restaurants. It’s easy to spend an entire weekend or more just exploring the great things you can find here.

RRM: Tell us a little about your

restaurant and what types of entrées might we find?

AnTHM Galleries

AnTHM Galleries of Black Mountain proudly hosts a unique artsy social experience around a number of our region’s up and coming — from established artists and musicians, to what’s new and tasty in local brews, regional wines, and flavorful foods.

First Fridays at the Monte Vista

Hotel: Friday, May 3, June 7, July 5, August 2, September 6, and October 4, from 6-9 p.m.

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INTERVIEWED BY

“First Fridays” is a local favorite. Enjoy “Artini” drink specials, appetizers, live music, and featured art by AnTHM artists and artists of the Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League. Patio is open and the public is welcome. IF YOU AnTHM Gallery at the GO Monte Vista Hotel, 308 W.

State St., (828) 669-8870. www.anthmgallery.com

Doug and Jenny Bowman Photo by Erica Mueller

DJB: One thing that has changed

since the old days is our style of service. Guests used to be seated at large tables in groups and served family style. Today, each party has their own table, and although we’re friendly, diners appreciate the same privacy they are given in any restaurant. Our menu changes with the times as well. Today we serve fresh, local food whenever possible. And although it is all homemade, we find guests favor some lighter or vegetarian choices as well as our rib-eye steaks, crab cakes, old fashion beef pot roast and stuffed chicken breast. That is until it comes to dessert! Our decadent homemade desserts are just as popular as ever. Of course, we also serve soups, salads, appetizers, wine and beer.

RRM: Tell us a little about your

rooms and accommodations you offer.

DJB: People love to tour the house

and peek into all the rooms. All 17 guest rooms are different but all are beautifully decorated and finely appointed. Each has private bath and unique charm. We have mostly king and queen beds, several of which have fireplaces, whirlpool tubs, or clawfoot tubs. The third floor rooms are the most spacious. The inn is completely air conditioned and we have plenty of parking, digital safes and wi-fi.

The Red Rocker Inn 136 N Dougherty St. Black Mountain (828) 669-5991 www.redrockerinn.com

L T

BLUE to BLACK ART WEEKEND May 3-5

BLUE TO BLACK Art Weekend, boasts the E.A.S.T. Studio Tour, in its 7th season, and the new BLUE to BLACK Art Stroll during the weekend of May 3-5. The event kicks-off Friday, May 3, from 5-9 p.m. with an artist reception and preview of featured works at the historic Monte Vista Hotel and continues throughout the weekend. E.A.S.T. Studio Tour hours are Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with extended hours on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Black Mountain art venue/gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with Open House-Artist Receptions at participating downtown art venues and galleries from 5-7 p.m. Additionally, participating venues and galleries are open on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.bluetoblackartweekend.com

PG. 40

Chifferobe Home and Garden

Chifferobe Home and Garden in Black Mt is now carrying the work of Cindy Vandewart of Bashert Designs.

PG. 40

These gourds are beautiful by themselves, but would make beautiful holders for dried flowers or feathers. If you want to put fresh flowers inside, there is room to insert a glass jar to hold water. Drop by Chifferobe in the Cherry Street courtyard to see the collection!

Cindy does amazing things with dried gourds. She dries them and ages them, and then she proCindy Vandewart cesses the gourds by rubbing them with layers of polish and color. Chifferobe The resulting surface color has the richness and depth of fine leather. On 118 D Cherry Street top, she draws and paints spectacular Black Mountain 28711 designs and images. (828) 669-2743 The tops of many of them are www.chifferobehomeandgarden.com adorned with blackened pine needles.

PG. 40

Homestyle Gastropub Fare 19 Beers on Tap Live Music Open 11-10 10-12 Bar Menu

PG. 40

(828) 357-5656

207 West State Street Downtown Black Mountain www.thetrailheadrestaurant.com

PG. 40

Vol. 16, No. 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;&#x201D; May 2013 21

❖

Fine Ar ts & Craf ts

❖

Unique Restaurants & Breweries

❖ Warehouse Studio Spaces

❖

The Potter’s Mark Celebrates 10th Year in the River Arts District

RP RG RJ RB

More information on the River Arts District is available by calling (828) 280-7709 or visit www.riverartsdistrict.com.

The Potter’s Mark (Eileen & Marty Black) will be holding a special event celebrating our tenth year in Asheville’s River Arts District and the Cotton Mill Studios. Eileen and I want to that all of our friends, neighbors and loyal customers for the success we enjoyed over these past years. We will be offering a chance to win a door prize (no purchase necessary) and a free handmade spoon rest with any purchase. Refreshments will be served. Ten percent of all sales will be donated to The Asheville Area Arts Council. In addition to Eileen & Marty Black, the following Cotton Mill Artists are pleased to participate in this celebration and donate to Eileen & Marty Black this fine cause: R. Bruce Photos by Erica Mueller Brennan, Christine Dougherty, Bill George, Bernadette St. Pierre George, Mark Henry, Nancy Hilliard Joyce, John Mac Kah, Akira Satake, Nancy Silver, Robin Walder and Barbara Zaretsky. IF YOU Celebrating ten wonderful years in The GO Cotton Mill Studios Creating Handcrafted

Pottery, May 11 from 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. 122 Riverside Drive, Studio A in Asheville’s River Arts district. For more information contact Eileen Black at (828) 252-9122 or visit www.pottersmark.com

RIVER ARTS STUDIO BUILDINGS

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* The Wedge Studios * Roberts Street Studios * Odyssey Center * Jonas Gerard Fine Art * Noble Forge * Pink Dog Creative * 352 Depot * 362 Depot * Glen Rock Depot * Studio 375 Depot * Northlight Studios * The Lift Studios

* David C. Stewart Fine Art * Switchyard Studios * Tannery Studios * Riverview Station * Warehouse Studios * Curve Studios & Garden * Cotton Mill Studios * Riverside Studios * Galaxy Studios * Hatchery Studios * Phil Mechanic Studios

❖ Fine Arts & Crafts ❖ Unique Restaurants & Breweries Warehouse Studio Spaces

The River Arts District

Where in the southeast can you go to see more than 180 artists, all in one location, creating incredibly unique pieces of fine art and craft? There’s just one place: Asheville, North Carolina’s River Arts District. For more than 18 years now, the River Arts District has been evolving into a phenomenal destination point, not only for studio spaces for some of the country’s most talented artists, but also for local residents and tourists who want to experience great art and food. This is all found within one of the city’s oldest warehouse districts. The River Arts District is chockfull of vintage warehouse architecture, one-of-a-kind studio spaces, and unique restaurants & breweries that call the district home, but that’s not the real story. At the core of this artsy vibe, are the individual artists who choose to call

warehouse buildings are full of working artists studios, some the district home. who are open on the Their stories and weekends and many creative processes are open every day, are as different as the all year round durbuildings they occupy ing regular business and yet create the hours. Couple that thread from which with easy-to-access this creative commuparking and popular nity is woven. From Matt Tommey in his studio. restaurants like 12 glass blowers to a Bones, White Duck Taco and Clingman basket maker, potters to painters, fiber artists Café, you’ve definitely got a recipe for a to jewelers, the district is overflowing with quick afternoon visit or some serious weeksome of the most creative and talented artend exploration! ists from around the country and beyond. Throughout the year, the River Arts In the early days, the River Arts District District Artists (RADA) hosts special opwas simply a gathering place for artists who portunities for the public to come out, meet were looking for inexpensive studio space in the artists, shop, eat and explore the district. a town that had a growing reputation for the Two such opportunities are the Studio Stroll arts. As time passed, the area began to develop and “A Closer Look” Second Saturdays. a reputation as a great place to explore, espeThe Studio Stroll is held each year during cially since so many of the artists welcomed the second weekend of June and November visitors into their studios to get a behind the scenes look at their creative process. Now days, the district’s repurposed

where thousands come from around the country to visit. Additionally, RADA hosts “A Closer Look” Second Saturdays, which feature a different creative medium each month May – November. During both events, the public is invited to visit working studios and purchase unique pieces of art and craft direct from the artist. There are also artist demonstrations, complimentary trolley rides, plenty of parking and lots of opportunities for food and fun for all ages. So whether you’re coming for the afternoon, for the day or for the weekend, know that Asheville’s River Arts District is one destination you don’t want to miss. Make your plans now by visiting www.riverartsdistrict.com to download a complimentary Studio Guide.

A Closer Look Into Fiber/Textile and Jewelry

For the second year BY SARAH WELLS ROLLAND in a row, The River Arts District Artists are working same weekend. Bring your together for an exciting mom and have an amazmonthly event called “A ing experience walking Closer Look.” It is held on around The River Arts the Second Saturday of evDistrict, shopping for the ery month from May-Dec. perfect gifts, and meet our “A Closer Look” friendly, nationally and spotlights the diverse types internationally acclaimed of art that one can find in local artists. The River Arts District The River Arts Disfocusing on a differtrict of Asheville consists ent artist medium each Judy Levine of a vast array of artists and month. Come shop, eat working studios set in an and explore the River Arts urban scene of old factories and hisDistrict for A Closer Look into fiber, torical buildings. Everywhere you turn textiles and jewelry on May 11. We will art abounds. More than 180 working be celebrating more than 20 artists of studios, many with showrooms and galthe internationally acclaimed River Arts leries, are open every day, all year round. District Artists Association. Visitors are encouraged to come explore During the event, visitors will be the artist studios and watch while they able to watch an artist weave a scarf with work, meeting the artists and discussing spring colors, see a basketmaker make the creative process. baskets out of bark and vines, or pick out some handmade jewelry made on location by a metalsmith. For directions and more details May is a wonderful time for this visit www.riverartsdistrict.com event since Mother’s day falls on the

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 23

INTERVIEW WITH EILEEN AND MARTY BLACK, OWNERS OF

The Potter’s Mark

Embracing both form and function has always been our goal. We strive to enhance the beauty of form with the gift of functionality. Our stoneware pottery is meant to be enjoyed by appreciating the beauty and valuing the utility. If using our pottery brings you delight then our mission has been fulfilled. ~ Eileen & Marty Black

DENNIS RAY

little about The Potter’s Mark.

glaze on a regular basis. After years of effort, Marty refined the glaze so it fits our clay and can be produced in quantities that do not require us to charge a premium price. Copper–red, like all of our other glazes, contains no Lead and is safe to use every day.

Eileen: Our mission statement is

RRM: How did you first get

Rapid River Magazine: Tell us a what we are all about. We enjoy creating both beautiful and functional pottery that our customers love to collect and use. We have been told many times by our loyal customers “I think of you and Marty whenever I have my morning cup of coffee in one of your handmade mugs”

Form and function. Photo by Erica Mueller

RRM: Talk a little about your

glazes, especially the Copper-Red glaze and why red is a very difficult color to create as a glaze?

EB: Copper-Red is a finicky and

INTERVIEWED BY

frustrating glaze that takes many ingredients to formulate. Careful measurement of these ingredients is a must. Unfortunately Copper-Red is not as forgiving as our other glazes. It requires a special reduction firing atmosphere in a gas kiln to properly develop. Even with care, we sometimes get white instead of red. The difficulty in producing a good “sang de boeuf” (oxblood) red is probably the reason only a small percentage of potters produce this

24 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

into clay?

EB: First, I started with my

left foot…..seriously, my first Eileen & Marty Black Photo by Erica Mueller experience with clay was back in the 60’s as an art major at Queens College in NYC. I instantly the Odyssey Center in RAD and fell in love with it, spending most of a great deal of guidance from me, my time in a dingy, dirty, basement his creative side developed and he clay studio where most other students started producing a great line of never dared to venture. I subseboth functional and decorative potquently received a degree in art tery. He also does everything I don’t education. want to do, since he is the junior After moving to Miami, getpotter (although he is much older ting involved with The Ceramics than me). League of Miami, I knew that I was RRM: What makes pottery so perfect going to have a long love affair with for daily dinnerware use, and what clay. It was in Miami where I really are your “best sellers” in stoneware? learned how to be creative with clay. I was very fortunate, since EB: Our pottery is made from during the winter months, many high fire stoneware and is sturdy, renowned potters, many of whom attractive and functional. Our best lived in the Midwest, came down sellers range from mugs to comto Miami to warm up and present plete dinnerware sets that contain meaningful and exciting workshops. our signature red glaze, although I took advantage of every one I could. we have other exotic glazes that are I could list the names of the famous close runners up. potters I learned from, but that would We sell a lot of dinnerware to fill up the whole issue. That was over newlyweds who register on our forty years ago, and I have never lost website (www.pottersmark.com) my love for creating with clay. and we provide them a free personal Marty, an electronics engineer web page. It contains information with five patents, quit engineering and that they want to share with their joined me in 1999 with his new phifriends and relatives, along with losophy “If Man was meant to work images and a wish list of the pottery with electrons, they would be big they would love to have as gifts. enough to see.” Marty found changRRM: You use a “High Fire” cone ing from using his analytical skills (left 10. What does that mean? side of his brain) to artistic skills (right side of his brain) difficult. He said that EB: High Fire, cone 10 means that “originally the right side was hollow, our pottery is fired to 2350º F, with nothing but echoes.” After some formal education at continued on page 25

River of Silk

JONAS GERARD’S LUSH NEW SILK WORKS

Jonas Gerard is constantly scouting new avenues of expression. His famous gallery signs stating, “it is ok to touch” speak of and reinforce a love for the tactile elements in art. It is no surprise then that when a desire to explore gentle, ethereal, dreamy colors and textures arose again, his intuition to add a touch of silk led things in new, unexpected directions. The soft, luxurious feel of silk, combined with his mastery of the color palette resulted in a tender explosion of warmth. Working with silk requires a totally new process, taking the artist far outside his comfort zone into the realm where every step is a fresh discovery. While silk paint is still used for accents, the majority of color in these works comes from dyes. They react very differently than other paints, unleashing a unique expressive space similar to watercolors. Expanded techniques using water, wax, alcohol and other alchemical ingredients brought forth a vibrant array of organic patterns. Whether in an abstract or landscape, the colors created their own relationships, where happy accidents danced across the silk and the artist was simultaneously

lush Mother’s Day Weekend opening reception following the 2nd Saturday Live Painting Performance at Jonas Gerard Fine Art. The Painting Performance starts at 2 p.m., and the reception starts at 4 p.m. River of Silk will be on display through June 16, 2013.

‘Potters Mark’ cont’d from page 24

RRM: Pottery never seems to go out of

which makes it strong and vitreous (does not absorb water). With proper care, our pottery can be put in a microwave, conventional oven, and is dishwasher safe.

RRM: Obviously not all clays are created equally. What properties does your clay offer that others may not?

EB: We purchase locally from

Highwater Clays. Their white stoneware clay “Loafer’s Glory” is consistent and its properties allow us to produce our red glazes with confidence. The fit of glaze to clay is a very important factor in producing reliable pottery.

CHRIS STACK

the cause of, and joyous witness to, hundreds of tiny miracles. River of Silk is an exciting show highlighting Jonas’ explorations of this new direction. Live painting performance by Jonas Gerard, May 11. He has journeyed far up this river and has returned with a gallery full of Jonas Gerard Fine Art is located at wonders. Large works where pastel 240 Clingman Avenue, in the heart washes of color provide the backdrop of the River Arts District. for graceful strokes and splashes live Studio and Gallery are open every alongside numerous small works, day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each providing a unique window into this magical realm. Hand-painted silk For more information visit scarves round out the collection, allowwww.jonasgerard.com ing art lovers to wrap themselves or a loved one in a soft, silky river of color. IF YOU River of Silk starts on GO Saturday, May 11 with a

style. Why do you suppose that is?

EB: Luckily for us, many custom-

ers consider handmade pottery as heirlooms and pass them down from generation to generation. The strength, functionality and beauty of pottery makes a keepsake for families to use and cherish. We still hear from customers who purchased our pottery almost thirty years ago, still adding to their collection

The Potters Mark 122 Riverside Dr., Asheville Inside the Cotton Mill Studios (828) 252-9122 www.pottersmark.com

Grace and Glory

Like the earth which longs for redemption and wholeness, we too long for fulfillment and completion. We hold on to earthly memories and secrets. The tangible objects we can see are a substitute for what we cannot see. Our hope is that the Two Vessels, painting by “perishGrace Carol Bomer able will put on the imperishable.” And that one day, The Lord of the Dance will take us captive!

Inspirational Abstract Expressionist Paintings by Grace Carol Bomer are on display at 140 D Roberts Street Studio, Asheville, the only location in WNC to find Grace Bomer’s work. Visit www.gracecarolbomer.com RP

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 25

We’ve

EXPANDED our space. Celebrating our new space & new look with special savings on home decór, furniture and jewelry all month long. Don’t miss our One-Day Sale May 4th.

PG.

Now taking Spring & Summer consignments

234 New Leicester Hwy. • 828.251.9231 • Mon - Fri 10–6 • Sat 10–5 mineandyoursconsignments.com

fine art Appalachian Pastel Society Non-Juried Exhibition

BlackBird Frame & Art presents the 2013 Appalachian Pastel Society Non-Juried Exhibition from May 1st through 31st. An opening reception will be held on Friday, May 3rd from 6:30-8:30 pm. Some of the finest artists in the region working in pastels will display new works in this show. The Appalachian Pastel Society promotes and elevates the art of pastel painting in the region through education, exhibitions and other events. Centered in Asheville, the organization serves members in North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia. The APS is a member of the International Association of Pastel Societies and APS members have received national recognition. The annual non-juried show allows the artists to showcase work of their choosing, exhibiting the vibrance and depth of layered pigment that makes pastels so special. All work at the show will be available for purchase. Soft pastel is the most archival of all painting media. While using most of the same pigments as paint, soft pastel

is a dry medium with a much higher concentration of pigment, and therefore is the closest to pure color of any of the painting media. It can be either We Two in the Rushes by Kate Thayer blended by hand or left with visible strokes and lines. The ground is generally either paper, sanded boards or canvas. The use of soft pastels in fine art dates to the late 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci being among the earliest recorded to employ them. Since the 19th century, many famous artists, most notably perhaps Edgar Degas, have used pastels to a certain degree, some for complete painting, others for underpainting or finishing. Artists who favor pastels often cite the immediacy of the medium, its receptiveness to their spontaneity and the intimacy of its hands-on connection to the artist as reasons for their choice. Throughout May, visit BlackBird to delight in the treasures created by these dedicated artists bringing new perspectives and techniques to an ages-old medium.

IF YOU Opening Reception, Friday, May 3 from 6:30 to GO 8:30 p.m. at BlackBird Frame & Art. On display

PG.

Dawn’s Gold by J. Kay Gordon

New Location & New Opportunities at The Arch

The Arch is now located at the Riverside Business Park, just off Exit 24 just north of Asheville. From Exit 24 head straight down to the river and you’ll find them among at least 50 other businesses. The shop is located in Unit #10, just to the right of the park office. It’s a great community, so go check it out! The Arch showcases the works of a fine group of participants, from Asheville to as far away as the DC area. The new space offers new opportunities including American Clay Full Day classes. As one participant stated, “It was well worth the drive. You’re the only ones offering a class along the East coast and it was great to learn from Jim who knows the products so well.” Sign up for the next full day American Clay class, scheduled for May 18. For all of the details call (828) 253-5455, or visit The Arch at www.thearchnc.com. The Arch, Architectural Finishes, Flooring & More, 2000 Riverside Drive, #10, Asheville, NC 28804.

26 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

through May 31, 2013. BlackBird Frame & Art is an independent gallery and custom frame studio owned by Pat and John Horrocks and located at 365 Merrimon Avenue in north Asheville. Hours are 10-6 weekdays and 10-3 on Saturdays. For more information call (828) 225-3117 or visit www. blackbirdframe.com

New Gallery to Open in River Arts District

Asheville Ceramics Gallery will open its doors on May 1 and will have its Grand Opening on May 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Gallery is a cooperative between 11 of the area’s top ceramic artists. It was the brain child of Asheville potter Joey Sheehan who used to have his pottery studio in the building. The other 10 ceramic artists are: Bily Brown, Jennifer Kincaid, Trista Hudzik Reynolds, Michael Ball, Andrew Stephenson, Erik Haagensen, Luba Sharapan, Will Dickert, Chris McGee, and Laura Cooke. The work in the gallery ranges from wood fired and salt glazed pottery, to sculptural earthenware. The grand opening will feature a raffle, live music, and clay demonstrations. The Asheville Ceramics Gallery is located in the Phil Mechanics building at 109 Roberts Street. The regular hours will be Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information email joey@meltingmountainpottery.com or ashevilleceramics@gmail.com.

artful living Stillness, Vast and Deep “Your innermost sense of self, of who you are, is inseparable from stillness. This is the “I Am” that is deeper than name and form.”

One of the first insights gained in meditation is that we live inside a cacophony of distracting mental noise. We may have some awareness of this runaway train of thinking, but with the beginnings of meditation, the full extent begins to be realized. Buddhism notes, and modern consciousness teacher, Eckhart Tolle, brilliantly explores, how we mistake this mental activity for who we are, investing it with a sense of self, our self, that it does not have. The real truth of who we are lies hidden, or more accurately, distracted from us, by this wall of mental noise. These thoughts that we give our identity to are actually conditioned into us by society, family and culture, and are a complex system that is the personalized egoic mind telling us over and over a story of who we are, what society is, and what is true and what is important. This compulsive mental activity is certainly not who we are, nor can we lay claim to being its source, let alone it being our source. It is an opaque screen of concepts separating us from understanding our true identity, the world, our place in the world, and even the nature of God. And it is this opaque screen of concepts that we cling to desperately for it seems we have no choice.

The spiritual has to be the well from which our secular self draws its fundamental psychological well-being. But we do. Buddhism calls this blindness “egoic delusion” and points to it as the source of our suffering. It is a story of aloneness and fear of insufficiency in the face of the vastness of Life, and we spend our lives fighting off the subtle terror it brings called anxiety, looking everywhere within its story of separateness and materialism for meaning, clinging to it like a life-raft, while it is actually more like the water pouring over the edges, sinking us. But beneath the mental noise, emanating from within and from the Universe that we occur within, beneath this story with all its conflicts and drama, is a profound stillness, as quiet as the vastness of space, and there resides a dimension of our existence that is free, wise and at one with all Life. To a Hindu, this is Atman, God within. To a Zen Buddhist, it is your original and true self, the place of Buddha-mind. Contemporary consciousness teacher Eckhart Tolle calls this dimension, Being. It is That which Is, and as some spiritual teachers say,

~ Eckhart Tolle Thou art That. This can seem all extremely esoteric, interesting to contemplate, but of very little value to this identity, me, in the world, maneuvering for my place in the world. Or perhaps, it can seem this special knowledge can be adopted into a story of spiritual specialness. Either perspective would be error. Among the great mistakes of the personalized egoic identity is its insistence on “either-or” thinking, and looking for its edge, how to make itself special. We live as if the spiritual and the secular are really very separate. Not so. The secular and spiritual must be one, but in a manner we are not accustomed to in this culture. We don’t do well with the idea of the mystical in this culture, but that’s because we don’t do well with paradox. We keep insisting paradox is contradiction and impractical, when in truth, there can be no practicality without paradox, and the true realm of paradox is mysticism, and in actuality, mysticism is very practical. It puts us in touch with the big truths. If we are to know true peace in our lives, the spiritual has to be the well from which our secular self draws its fundamental psychological well-being. In an interesting coincidence of phrasing, it must come from the well-of-Being. This spiritual source cannot be, however, anything other than the “peace that surpasseth understanding.” It is not contained in any complicated special teachings. The most important secret of Life is simplicity itself. It’s just this, but it is a “this” that is the infinity contained in each and every simple thing. A commonality of spiritual masters of all traditions is that they tell us that the only true teachings are those that help us see beyond the teaching to what the teaching is pointing toward, and what any true teaching points toward is the dynamic stillness of the Universe happening through a human consciousness. It must point us toward our Source, and to find that Source, the noise of the egoic mind and its stories of secular and/or spiritual specialness must be quieted. The secular and the spiritual must be realized as the same, for the Source is That, and every person, every bird, every

BILL WALZ

tree, stone, and every moment must be realized as That. Without an ongoing connection to our fundamental Source, our secular lives are like a small boat on the ocean, completely dependent on external forces, the weather (and whether) of our lives for its well-being. We can pray and chant all we want, do ritual after ritual, but only if after the prayer, after the ritual, we enter into the immense silence of the Mystery and listen into the silence will we be able to walk our everyday lives in the Presence that brings peace. Buddhism directs us to not mistake the waves for the ocean, our life-circumstances for Life, or the prayer and ritual for the Source. Beneath the surface of the ocean, our lives, and true religious experience, there is a deep stillness that is constant and calm, deep and vast, connecting all that is. This is the true realm of Spirit, not stories of God in Heaven, separated from us, judging us. For too long, humans have mistaken God to be a projected egoistic figure. This story leaves humans in an unrelentingly hostile world of their own making. It is the reason that societies with religions of God in Heaven (and reactive no-God societies) are responsible for most of the war and devastation on this planet, and the psychological ills and pathology that plague humanity. This moment. Can you touch the deep stillness that abides within and all about you? Can you even recognize what I am referring to? If you stop the stories and realize the truth of your own experience, you will know, you will remember, all your moments of wisdom, calm and clarity have occurred when, by circumstance, you experienced the stillness, the silence out of which truth could whisper. It may have been on a mountaintop. It may have been in a cathedral. It may have been walking through a forest. It may have been just a moment in the midst of everyday life when, for some reason, there was a stopping of mind-chatter and time, and what arose was a powerful sense of being present that can only be described as mystical or spiritual. We may have given the mountaintop or the cathedral or the forest or the circumstance the credit, but they were only the stimulus. The stillness was you. It was, as Eckhart Tolle in another teaching tells us, we are the moment arising in awareness.

Rediscover your true individualized Self... All story about who we are stops, and there we are. Awareness becomes palpable. The deep, vast stillness that is awareness holds the moment, and in that moment, you are That, and nothing that can be said can exactly describe It. Seek the vast and deep stillness. Look to teachings that point you away from your small and chaotic egoic self – and away from themselves – to the stillness – on the mountaintop, in the oceans depths, in the vast night sky – to the vast quiet that is your own awareness in which all thought, feeling and experience occurs, yet never is, cannot be, disturbed. Rediscover your true individualized Self, Atman, Buddha-mind. Find it and bring it into your everyday life. Be one spark of sanity, joining with other sparks, what Buddhism calls “the Sangha,” the community of awakened beings, to create a fire of consciousness on the planet so that, Phoenix-like, our true continued on page 37

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 27

Reel Take Reviewers:

∑∑∑∑∑ - Fantastic ∑∑∑∑ - Pretty darn good ∑∑∑ - Has some good points ∑∑ - The previews lied ∑ - Only if you must M- Forget entirely

CHIP KAUFMANN is a film historian who also shares his love of classical music as a program host on WCQSFM radio. MICHELLE KEENAN is a long time student of film, a believer in the magic of movies and a fundraiser for public radio.

For the latest REVIEWS, THEATER INFO and MOVIE SHOW TIMES, visit www.rapidrivermagazine.com

Illustration of Michelle & Chip by Brent Brown.

Questions/Comments?

BRENT BROWN is a graphic designer and illustrator. View more of his work at www.brentbrown.com.

42 ∑∑∑∑ Short Take: Beautiful, old fashioned biopic on Jackie Robinson may be too reverential for some but its ability to take you back in time and tell its story puts it on the level of The Natural and Eight Men Out.

REEL TAKE: Only the snarkiest critics

are saying really negative things about 42 (Jackie Robinson’s baseball jersey number for you non-baseball fans) which is to be expected. Some others may be afraid to fully criticize it because of the subject matter which is also understandable. As for me, I could give you a laundry list of things

Theatre Directory Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company Movieline (828) 254-1281 www.ashevillepizza.com Beaucatcher Cinemas (Asheville) Movieline (828) 298-1234 Biltmore Grande 1-800-FANDANGO #4010 www.REGmovies.com Carmike 10 (Asheville) Movieline (828) 298-4452 www.carmike.com Carolina Cinemas (828) 274-9500 www.carolinacinemas.com Cinebarre (Asheville) www.cinebarre.com The Falls Theatre (Brevard) Movieline (828) 883-2200 Fine Arts Theatre (Asheville) Movieline (828) 232-1536 www.fineartstheatre.com Flat Rock Theatre (Flat Rock) Movieline (828) 697-2463 www.flatrockcinema.com Four Seasons (Hendersonville) Movieline (828) 693-8989 Smoky Mountain Cinema (Waynesville) Movieline (828) 452-9091

You can email Chip or Michelle at reeltakes@hotmail.com

wrong with the film something to cheer for and feel good about but I won’t because afterwards. Writer-director Brian Helgeland nothing on that list (A Knight’s Tale) is deliberately lookreally matters in the ing backward in order to try and create an long run. inspirational myth not an everyday reality 42 details the exjust as his mentor, director Richard Donner, treme trials and heavy did in the first Christopher Reeve Superman tribulations that Jackie movie back in 1978. Robinson had to face The greatest praise I can bestow on 42 when he became the is that I literally cannot remember the last first African-Ameritime I attended a movie with a sizable audican to break the color ence that was almost evenly divided between barrier of major league black and white patrons who then engaged baseball back in 1947. in dialogue afterwards. I like to think that He was chosen for this somewhere, Jackie Robinson and Branch task by Branch Rickey, Rickey would be proud. the general manager Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including of the then Brooklyn language. Chadwick Boseman stars as Jackie Robinson in Dodgers. Their colthe new baseball biopic 42. REVIEW BY CHIP KAUFMANN laboration changed the face of professional Mud ∑∑∑∑∑ But there’s more here than simple sports forever. nostalgia. 42 is graced with a quartet of Short Take: A terrific modern southern It certainly wasn’t easy for Robinson performances from the principal characters tale with a sweet soul and a muddy, who had to endure not only the vilest verbal that draw us right into the events. Chadwick snake bit underbelly. abuse imaginable but also deliberate physiBoseman and Nicole Beharie give breakout cal abuse such as being hit in the head by REEL TAKE: Mud takes place in the sleepy performances as Jackie and Rachel Robin90mph fastballs and having his legs spiked backwoods Arkansas tributaries of the Misson. Their determination and love for each by angry players. In the beginning even sissippi River, part of a culture relatively unother make the audience care about and his own teammates shunned him except touched by the rest of the world and a way willing to cheer for them. Andre Holland as for shortstop Pee Wee Reese. Robinson of life not long for this world. Best friends African-American columnist Wendell Smith kept coming back for more and earned the Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob engages us as we witness how Robinson’s respect of the rest of the Dodgers. Lofland) are fourteen year old boys who triumph becomes his own. In the long run, nothing succeeds The real surprise, however, like success and once the Dodgers, aided is Harrison Ford’s performance by the base stealing, catching, and hitting as Branch Rickey. There’s no skills of Robinson, fought their way to the trace of Ford the star persona National League pennant and the 1947 here only Ford the actor portrayWorld Series, the fans rallied and the Afing the feisty, cigar chewing rican-American community had one small Brooklyn GM complete with victory to celebrate. raspy voice, slicked back hair, All of this is done in classic, inspiraand thick glasses. If Ford fails tional sports film style from the important to secure an Oscar nomination speeches to the slow motion triumphant down the road for this portrayal, finale. An added bonus, and it’s a huge one, then to quote the old baseball is the cinematography which bathes the film phrase “We wuz robbed!” in subdued colors and soft focus images This is certainly old school which heightens and enhances the feeling filmmaking with few negative of nostalgia. We are not only witnessing elements concerning its title one man’s triumph, we are also witnessing character. While this may bother Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland and Matthew McConaughey history. Here CGI recreates the legendary today’s jaded critics who wanted star in the best film of the year so far, Mud. ballparks of yore such as Crosley Field in a warts and all biography, it gives Cincinnati, Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, and a weary audience, in lieu of recent events, ‘Movies’ continued on page 29 of course Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.

28 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

film reviews ‘Movies’ continued from page 28

explore the river, looking for adolescent fun and adventure. When they discover a boat amazingly suspended in a tree on a nearby island, they get the adventure of a lifetime. The story is a coming-of-age story of sorts and is centered around Ellis. Ellis sells fish door-to-door with his father and he’s struggling with the apparent disintegration of his parent’s marriage. He is a romantic and an idealist. Neckbone is a little rougher around the edges, never having known his parents and being precariously raised by a well meaning and loving uncle (Michael Shannon). When they discover the boat, they decide to claim it as their own—a perfect secret tree fort. Soon however, they discover the boat is occupied by a mysterious squatter on the island with an odd moniker. Mud (Matthew McConaughey). He is a fugitive on the island, hiding out from the law and waiting for his lady love, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). Mud is his own ‘beast of the southern wild’ (a love child of Boo Radley and Max Cady if you will). He’s superstitious, but very capable of surviving in the woods and under the radar. He’s done bad things, but has a code of honor. He, like Neckbone has never known his parents, but like Ellis is a true romantic. He’s an oddball to be sure, and while we don’t quite know how much of his story is true, he earns the boys’ trust (and the audience). The three then set about the task of getting the boat out of the tree and patching it up so that Mud can sail into the sunset with his lady love. McConaughey, who is enjoying a very interesting career comeback of late, gives one of his best performances to date. If this is an example of the kinds of projects he’s going to sign on to, bring it on. Tye Sheridan, as Ellis, is fantastic to watch. Neither he nor Jacob Lofland (Neckbone) miss a note, and I look forward seeing what each of them do next. The supporting cast is a dream, especially performances by Ray McKinnon, Michael Shannon and Sam Shepard. Shepard delivers one of his most enjoyable performances in a while. Directed and written by Jeff Nichols (Take Take Shelter Shelter), Mud takes it time unfolding but never dawdles. It feels like a literary piece adapted for the screen, but it’s not. It’s just an incredibly rich and incredibly rewarding story of the modern, rural south. Mud is told with patience, nuance and a salty underbelly, but at its core is a sweet soul. Youthful naiveté counters harsh realities yet never diminishes them. Rather, an almost childlike romanticism and idealism, and a general faith in the innate goodness of [most] people, gives the story a wonderful spirit without falling prey to sappiness. There are very few missteps (if any) in this film, and even a rather conventional,

crowd pleasing ending actually works here without feeling false. Hollywood and movie making could do with more films like Mud, though I think very few filmmakers could pull off as authentically and seamlessly what Nichols does. Bottom line – see it.

which, to my way of thinking, is what makes a film truly worthwhile. The setting is a post-apocalyptic world wherein Earth defeated an alien invasion but at a terrible cost. The surviving population has been transported to Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, which has been equipped Rated PG-13 for some violence, sexual to sustain human life. What remains of references, language, thematic elements and the Earth is watched over by drones who smoking. continue to meet token resistance from REVIEW BY MICHELLE KEENAN alien stragglers trapped on the planet. Tom Cruise (playing yet another character named Jack) is a drone repairman assigned to Earth along with his female partner Victoria (Andrea Riseborough). Olga Kurylenko and Tom Cruise go in search of human survivors in They live in an the sci-fi adventure flick Oblivion. ultramodern house high above the ground and take their orders from Oblivion ∑∑∑∑ Central Control leader Sally (Melissa Leo) Short Take: Dystopian sci-fi saga about who constantly congratulates them on being life on Earth after an unsuccessful good team players. alien invasion that uses its special One day Jack discovers that the alien effects to enhance the story, not the scavengers are actually human survivors led other way around. by a mysterious figure (Morgan Freeman) REEL TAKE: Here is yet another Tom and that the distant memories he has of Cruise movie that is receiving an unfair another woman (Olga Kurylenko) hold share of critical brickbats from certain quarthe key to an entirely different reality. Jack ters. The major complaint, aside from the must now work to find out about his past fact that Tom Cruise is in it, is that Oblivion and then do something about the situation is derivative of several other science-fiction he uncovers if he can. Does he succeed? films. HEL-LO! Movies, by their very naWell, it’s a Tom Cruise movie so that ture, are derivative of those that came before should tell you something right there. But them. Always have been, always will be. It’s that’s not the point. what you do with the derivation that’s the The point is that Oblivion is a captiimportant thing and Oblivion uses its borvating work of science-fiction with quality rowings in a clever and creative way. special effects and settings that are there to Dystopian science-fiction has been a serve the story being told rather than the mainstay in movies since Fritz Lang’s Meother way around. The acting by all the tropolis way back in 1927. Although there principals is engaging throughout the length were only a few examples before World of the film and if Tom Cruise and Morgan War II, such as England’s Things to Come Freeman are essentially playing themselves, (1936), the Atomic Age of the 1950s brought well, after all that’s what we pay to see. a plethora of such films. Everything from Oblivion has just enough originality to 1960’s big budget The Time Machine (rekeep it fresh and make it memorable on its made in 2002) to 1958’s creative, low budget own terms. It’s also structured by writerdrive-in fare Terror from the Year 5000. director Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Tron: Legacy Legacy) The creative freedom of the 1970s gave us to not reveal all its secrets in one viewing THX 1138 (1971), Silent Running (1972), especially if you’re looking for other sci-fi and Zardoz (1974) which may contain the film references. It provided me with a bleakest view of the future ever put on most agreeable multiplex experience and screen (see this month’s DVD pick). the rather large audience that I saw it with I mention these other films because really enjoyed it too. they all play a part in Oblivion along with Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, brief several others that I could mention and strong language, and some sensuality/nudity. that you will recognize once you see the REVIEW BY CHIP KAUFMANN movie. While it breaks no new ground, it is extremely well made and has a lot more staying power after you leave the theater ‘Movies’ continued on page 30

Monthly Reel

Happy May, dear readers! Well it looks like 2013 may be shaping up to be a decent year in movies after all. All three of the films I reviewed this month are worthwhile, and one of them, Mud, will no doubt be on my ‘best of’ list come award season. Trance Danny Boyle’s latest effort, and it’s not a great movie, but it a great wild ride. The Place Beyond the Pines is an overambitious film from the director of Blue Valentine, but it too is worthwhile, most notably from the performances of Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Dane DeHaan and Ben Mendelsohn. Meanwhile Chip was quite pleased with 42 and Oblivion as just good solid entertainment. As we near the summer movie season there are some big films coming down the pike. Later this month Baz Luhrmann’s version of The Great Gatsby hits theatres. Chip and I are a little leery of it’s “over the top flapper extravaganza” look, but we’ll withhold judgment until we see it. We both revisited early adaptations of Fitzgerald’s definitive novel. Chip watched the little known 1949 version starring Alan Ladd, but as it is difficult to obtain, he did not make it his DVD pick. I on the other hand revisited the 1974 version starring Robert Redford and it is easily my DVD pick for the month. Per the usual, we’ve also included the schedules for both the Asheville Films Society and the Hendersonville Film Socieety for your reference. Looks like Ken Hanke is getting ready for all the buzz on Baz later this month as well, and has selected Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge and its big feature of the month. Meanwhile, our own Chip Kaufmann will be showcasing a vintage foreign classic, a movie version of a celebrated play, and the original That’s Entertainment on Sundays in Hendersonville.

Until next month, we’ll see you at the movies.

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 29

film reviews HENDERSONVILLE FILM SOCIETY If you think they don’t make them like they used to, take in great classic films Sundays at 2 p.m. at Lake Pointe Landing in Hendersonville. Coffee and wonderful flicks are served up. For more information call (828) 697-7310. Only three films this month, a vintage foreign classic, a movie version of a celebrated play, and the original That’s Entertainment.

May 5th:

The Blue Angel

Marlene Dietrich became a cinematic icon in this still amazing adaptation of Heinrich Mann’s novel about the downward spiral of a stuffy professor (Emil Jannings) after he falls for a seedy cabaret singer. This is Cabaret for real. Directed by Josef von Sternberg (Shanghai Express). (1930) May 12th,

Mother’s Day: No Show I’m Not Rappaport May 19th:

Walter Matthau and Ossie Davis star in Herb Gardner’s cinematic adaptation of his own award winning play about two colorful New York senior citizens who are determined to “not go gentle into that good night.”. Directed by Herb Gardner (The Goodbye People). (1996)

That’s Entertainment May 26th:

The first and best of the series of films devoted to showcasing great moments from the Golden Age of M-G-M musicals. In addition to great clips, the movie features narration from Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney and many others. Directed by Jack Haley Jr. (and a whole lot of others). (1978)

Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: “Zardoz”

May DVD Picks

Zardoz (1974) Of all the dystopian sci-fi flicks out there from Metropolis to Oblivion (see review this issue), none is more unique or more bizarre than British director John Boorman’s 1974 opus Zardoz. Back in the day it was what was known as a “head trip”. The film is set in the 23rd century where 95% of the world has descended into chaos (no reason is given) while the remaining 5% consists of intellectuals who live in force field protected communities known as vortexes. These intellectuals are keepers of the world’s collective knowledge but do nothing with it. Sean Connery plays an outsider who infiltrates one of the communities and discovers a society of people who are immortal and where disobedience is punished by aging the lawbreakers into senility without the possibility of death. People who commit suicide are simply regenerated so there is no possibility of escape. And that’s just for starters. Boorman based his concept of a future society on a combination of the New Age communes and wealthy gated communities that he ran across in California in the late 1960s. You have to admit that the idea of such a possibility sounds pretty nightmarish and in this film it truly is. Connery (in a role originally intended for Burt Reynolds and wearing a costume that makes him look like Pancho Villa in a red diaper)) is joined by a solid cast of British and Irish actors including Charlotte Rampling, Sara Kestleman, and John Alderton. Zardoz is loaded with extremely imaginative visuals that still astonish

(the film was shot in Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains) and it contains a bleak, absurdist Samuel Beckett sense of humor that plays better today than it did in 1974. Once seen Zardoz cannot be forgotten and the title punchline remains one for the ages.

The Great Gatsby (1974) With all the buzz about Baz Luhrmann’s big budget [better-be-a-blockbuster] remake of The Great Gatsby (due out later this month), I thought it was a fitting time to revisit the 1974 version of The Great Gatsby starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. The Great Gatsby takes place in roaring twenties in the affluent Hamptons on Long Island. Redford plays the enigmatic and fascinating nouveau riche titular character. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway (Sam Waterston), a young Midwestern veteran who befriends Gatsby while summering at a neighboring property. It is from within Gatsby’s little known inner circle that Nick recounts his time with Gatsby in a story of obsession and tragedy. The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books of all time. No matter how times I read it I am always struck by Nick’s stalwart

Michelle Keenan’s Pick: “The Great Gatsby” and compassionate narrative and by Jay Gatsby’s blind faith and hope in the future and his unwavering love for Daisy Buchanan. In my mind, the 1974 film captures these and so many other elements of Fitzgerald’s definitive novel. The grand romance and the roaring twenties are beautifully illustrated, but so too is the ugly underbelly of the story and its haunting images. However, for all of its beauty and luxury, there is a simple starkness to the film that echoes the impact of Fitzgerald’s words. Redford is the very personification of Gatsby’s strengths and failings, and he is surrounded by a marvelous cast. Shot on location in some of the guilded era’s most beautiful homes in Newport, Rhode Island (including Rosecliff as Gatsby’s less than humble abode), the setting couldn’t be more perfect. Francis Ford Coppola very respectfully and artfully adapted F. Scott Fitzgerald’s beloved and acclaimed novel. The film was directed admirably by Jack Clayton, but was met with mixed reviews. In my humble opinion, it stands the test of time, and I wonder what kind of reviews the film would be met with if it were released today. That said, today’s audiences may want the more in-your-face portrayal of lavish gluttony that seems to represent Baz Luhrmann’s flapper extravaganza than the ’74 version. We’ll find out later this month when the latest Great Gatsby hits theatres. In the meanwhile, I highly recommend revisiting Jack Clayton’s The Great Gatsby Gatsby.

‘Movies’ continued from page 30

The Place Beyond the Pines ∑∑∑∑ 1/2 Short Take: An ambitious multi-generational drama about fate, the choices we make and their repercussions.

REEL TAKE: Ryan Gosling

and Bradley Cooper have certainly gone to great lengths Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes share one of the lighter moments in of late to prove their acting the hard hitting The Place Beyond the Pines. chops. The Place Beyond the Pines is yet another vehicle to too ambitious for its own good and takes prove their merits, even if the film is a little itself just a tad too seriously.

30 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

Writer, director Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) deftly crafted a heavy hearted drama about the choices we make and the consequences of our actions. The impact of one fateful moment can ripple throughout lifetimes. Here, what starts of as a fairly straightforward story of one man’s actions becomes a tragedy in three parts, playing out over course of many years and the lives of many. Gosling plays Luke a heav‘Movies’ continued on page 31

film reviews ‘Movies’ continued from page 30

ily tattooed motorcycle stunt rider in a traveling carnival. When he learns he has fathered a child with woman he once knew, he quits the show, ready to put down roots, help raise his child and maybe even win back Romina (Eva Mendes), the child’s mother. His attempt to do right is a hopeful beginning to the film. Unfortunately wanting to provide for his child and the mother of his child is the most admirable decision he makes. How he is going to provide for them proves his downfall. Becoming a bank robber leads him to that pivotal, fateful moment. Bradley Cooper is Avery, the young, idealistic, rookie cop who brings Luke down. Their lives intersect ever so briefly, but the events of that day impact the families of both men for many years to come. The story shifts at this point from Luke’s life to the life of our young police hero (Act 2). Avery is the son of a former state Supreme Court judge (Harris Yulin) and before donning his police blues, he appeased his father by attending law school. When a subplot of police corruption emerges, led by the perfectly (albeit laughably) typecast, Ray Liotta. Heading off the corruption ring, gives Avery’s career ambitions a boost and he’s on the fast track to district attorney and politics. The film then fast forwards 15 years for the third and final act, which focuses on Luke’s and Avery’s sons, both now in high school. Dane DeHaan (who I liked in last year’s Lawless)) is brilliant as Luke’s son Jason, but Emory Cohen is hopelessly miscast as Avery’s son A.J. He is more apt to be the thuggish son of Ray Liotta than Bradley Cooper. This is the film’s one major misstep.

The film plays out like a novel and in some ways may be better suited as such. The Place Beyond the Pines is way too long and it’s the kind of movie that really shouldn’t work, but somehow does. Gosling and Cooper both deliver fine performances, but James McAvoy stars in Danny Boyle’s hypnosis there’s something mesinduced thriller Trance. merizing about Gosling, especially as he shifts house. He no sooner finishes explaining from loving father to brutal bank robber. how to prevent the theft of priceless art, The other standout performance is when a theft of just such magnitude occurs. from Ben Mendelsohn, who plays the friend When Simon is injured by the criminal with whom Luke hatches the bank robbing boss, Franck (Vincent Cassel) behind the plan. The scenes between the two of them theft, we think Simon is innocent, but when are some of the best in the film. Franck opens the case to find the painting The Place Beyond the Pines isn’t a cut from the frame, we realize Simon is particularly easy film to watch, but it is more involved in the crime than originally worthwhile. thought. Because of the thunk on his noggin Rated R for language throughout, some violence, during the heist, Simon can’t remember teen drug and alcohol use, and a sexual reference what he actually did with the painting. REVIEW BY MICHELLE KEENAN After a gruesome round of torture yields disappointing results, Franck deTrance ∑∑∑∑ cides they’ll suss the secret out of Simon’s Short Take: A wild, cranial thrill-ride amnesia-riddled brain another way and send that mixes stolen art and hypnosis and him to see a posh hypnotherapist, Elizabeth nothing is quite what it seems. Lamb (Rosario Dawson). Elizabeth becomes an integral part of the elaborate path to reREEL TAKE: Fans of Danny Boyle’s Oscarcover the painting. But suffice it to say from winning Slumdog Millionaire may not quite here on out things get tricky and trying to groc his latest film Trance, but I think fans explain it all even trickier. Besides, half the of his earlier work may enjoy this slick, fastfun in a movie like this is watching how it paced cranial puzzle of sorts. Personally, I all unfolds, especially when nothing is quite loved parts of it, and enjoyed it over all, but what it seems. am also simultaneously annoyed by movies The movie is a wonderfully stylistic, deemed cleverer than they actually are. fast-paced brain f#@k (pardon the vernacuJames McAvoy plays Simon, a young lar). The cinematography artfully echoes man who works at high end London auction the hypnotic confusion of the story, and the whole thing is fantastic to watch. Unfortunately as capable as McAvoy is as an actor, he is readily overshadowed by Dawson and especially by Cassel. Cassel in particular makes the film immensely fun to watch and gives it the style and panache befitting a slick crime heist caper. acter, a prop, and a line of dialogue they Trance is engaging to be sure, but at its must work into their film. core it thinks it’s too clever for its own good, The best film from Asheville will be going just a little too far in outdoing each chosen and winners will then be in the plot twist with yet another. To go that far, running for top honors in Hollywood, one has to have a truly brilliant script (i.e. CA at Filmapalooza 2013, the 48 Hour Memento), and here a clever concept and Film Project’s annual awards. fancy footwork conceal a somewhat flimsy Competition starts Friday, June 21 script. Essentially robbing what could have at Asheville Brewing Company on Coxe been a truly brilliant movie of greatness. Ave. in Asheville from 5:30-7 p.m. Still though, for those that enjoy a Competition ends Sunday, June 23 smartly made thrill ride of a movie and don’t at 7:30 p.m. sharp at Asheville Brewing mind more than a little grit, Trance is well Company on Coxe Ave. worth a view. Screenings take place June 25 & 26 at 4 p.m., 7 p.m., and 10 Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, p.m. at Asheville Brewing Comviolence, some grisly images, and language. pany on Merrimon Ave. REVIEW BY MICHELLE KEENAN

The 48 Hour Film Project: June 21-23

In 2001, the 48 Hour Film Project started as a local film challenge among friends. Since then, it has evolved into a global phenomenon, and the world’s largest filmmaking competition. This year, the 48 Hour Film Project will tour nearly 125 cities, challenging more than 50,000 people to complete an entire film, from writing and casting, to filming and editing, in a mere 48 hours! On June 22, participating teams will gather at Asheville Brewing Company where they will be given a genre, a char-

www.48hourfilm.com

ASHEVILLE FILM SOCIETY The Asheville Film Society will show the following films on Tuesday nights at 8 in the Cinema Lounge at the Carolina Cinema on Hendersonville Road. Tuesday night screenings are free, but membership dues for the society are only $10. Membership gets you into any special membersonly events and screenings. May 7:

States Attorney

Attorney Tom Cardigan is the discontented “mouthpiece” for Vanny Powers’ mob. When Tom takes sweet June Perry as his mistress, she tries in vain to redeem him. Stars John Barrymore, Helen Twelvetrees, Jill Esmond. Directed by George Archainbaud (1932) May 14:

Libeled Lady

A newspaper man, his jilted fiancée, and his lawyer hatch an elaborate scheme to turn a false news-story into the truth, before a high-society woman can sue for libel. Stars Jean Harlow, William Powell and Myrna Loy. Directed by Jack Conway (1936) May 21:

Whoopee!

Western sheriff Bob Wells is preparing to marry Sally Morgan; she loves part-Indian Wanenis, whose race is an obstacle. Sally flees the wedding with hypochondriac Henry Williams, who thinks he’s just giving her a ride; but she left a note saying they’ve eloped! Chasing them are jilted Bob, Henry’s nurse Mary (who’s been trying to seduce him) and others. Stars Eddie Cantor, Ethel Shutta and Paul Gregory. Directed by Thornton Freeland (1930) May 28:

The Ladykillers

An eccentric, if not charming Southern professor and his crew pose as a band in order to rob a casino, all under the nose of his unsuspecting landlord; a sharp old woman. Stars Tom Hanks, Irma P. Hall and Marlon Wayans. Directed by the Coen Brothers (2004)

BIG SCREEN BUDGET FILM $5 for members, $7 general. Show time is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 8:

Moulin Rouge

A poet falls for a beautiful courtesan whom a jealous duke covets in this stylish musical, with music drawn from familiar 20th century sources. Stars Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Directed by Baz Luhrmann (2001)

Carolina Cinemas, 1640 Hendersonville Rd. (828) 274-9500. For more information go to www. facebook.com/ashevillefilmsociety

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 31

the curmudgeon Telephone Calls

PETER LOEWER

“I am mad as hell,” “Hello! I’m calling said the Curmudgeon as he walked into the dark interior you about your (Storekeep was changing the credit card debt.” overhead fluorescent lights) of the General Store, his complexion edging up to the danger point “We all do,” Illustration by Peter Loewer as, apparently, his blood pressure moved said greeting card into the realm of the higher digit. lady. “What about?” asked Storekeep, his “So what happened next?” asked the voice coming from above with the tone of a man from the cold-cut-case. message from a big empty room. “The phone rang again,” continued the “Telephones!” Curmudgeon, “but this time the call was “Any particular part of the telephone from a security company from Texas that industry?” asked the young lady who ocwanted me to join with my local police decasionally arrives from Ashville to sort the partment in an attempt to rein in the crime small collection of greeting cards. element of Western North Carolina, by “ROBOCALLS,” answered Curmudmy installing a burglar alarm system, again geon with a response of capital letters. approved by the local police, that would “Let me describe a typical day on my protect me from an army of evil robots hell phone. It all begins with a tingle as I am bent on stealing all things of value. making my morning toast. I complete the “The man’s voice, full of vibrato, then act of buttering then pick up the kitchen told me to press the one button on my receiver to hear the following message: phone to let them know I would be ready to “Hello!” says a bright and chipper receive this special equipment or if I had no woman’s voice, “I’m calling you about your interest in the offer, press three.” credit card debt. Oh, don’t worry, this isn’t “What happened?” asked the card lady. about your present debt but is about the “Upon pressing the three button the interest rate you pay. For the following week line went dead and before I could move the we are able to offer you a great deduction in receiver away from my ear, the irritating the interest rate that you now pay with you phone voice said: ‘If you want to make a call current card’s bank—” please hang up and try again.’” “I hung up!” “So,” continued the Curmudgeon, “I “Never do that,” said the man delivermoved ahead with my breakfast and while ing cold cuts, “If you hang up the powers doing the dishes, the phone rang again, this that be immediately know that your phone time with a “Life Alert Emergency Pager” to is active. Better put the receiver down in a enable me to survive a bad fall from tripping convenient place and go about your business over a forgotten electric cord.” until you hear that irritating message from “I began to yell at the phone, comthe phone company. You know the one I pletely forgetting that the other end of the mean, it’s that high-pitched woman’s voice line was a computer with nothing to offer that says: ‘If you want to make a call please except a waste of my time. I really don’t hang up and try again.’” need an emergency alert anything because “I hate that voice,” said Storekeep from my next-door neighbor, you know which above. ever one of the Perry Sisters who is at home at the time, is aware of every move on my part and would never allow my body to be unattended for any length of time.” They all knew the Perry Sisters. “Perhaps,” said the voice of Storekeep, still above them all as he continued to work the lights, “you should get call-waiting or install an answering machine and never answer the phone except on time-arranged signals?” “I think,” said Curmudgeon, “I have no wish to pay the phone company any more than I do, so I’ll hook up that old get an answering machine I have that I put in the closet years ago.” “Civilization marches on,” said the card lady from Asheville. Peter Loewer has written and illustrated more than twenty-five books on natural history over the past thirty years.

32 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

southern comfort

COLLECTED STORIES AND PROSE OF WRITER, JUDY AUSLEY

Proud to Be Southern Writers

Each month when I get Southern Living Magazine I often read the last page first because I love reading what writer, Rick Bragg, has written lately. Usually southern in nature, Bragg takes those of us who grew up in the south down some memory lane every month. I am a fan of his and I love his style of writing. Bragg writes, “They say we Southerners live in the past. The past is dead, Faulkner or no Faulkner.” I suppose that could be right, for I am always fishing around in the past to write some of my stories. Seems like the words spoken in the past sometimes really are appropriate to write about today – makes perfect sense to me. I think those of us who grew up on the great Atlantic coast of Florida are a special bunch. Many of us were born and raised near the ocean, and whatever the tide was, whether high or low, at the time of our cherished arrival in this world, it had some sort of influence on all of us.

BY JUDY

AUSLEY

scorching Florida. Just give me a Coke and I am happy. I do remember my father fussing at me when we were in a restaurant eating, because I refused to eat fish back when I was young. “I love shrimp, Daddy,” I would say. In recent years, I can’t get enough of fresh flounder, mountain trout and salmon. I really did not have much to say back in those days. I listened to all of my elders saying those funny little things, but I doubt if I can remember those quips. I tend to say things now that I have heard during interviews out in rural areas. Most of those funny things North Carolinians say are very different than what we learned in Florida, I’ll say! The funniest times were when my mother’s oldest sister arrived from Charleston to visit, accompanied by her three sons. I know everyone who knows anything about South Carolina thinks the way folks with that special accent have of saying “bear” instead of beer is really funny. My Ausley grandparents, who I Most of the funny things lived with until I was 5, told me that North Carolinians say are the first uttering or word I ever said was the name of their big large white very different than what we dog. I remember that dog vividly. I learned in Florida. guess he is responsible for my saying as an adult, “I love animals better than most people.” I was born at 2 on the morning of Everybody in my family are now gone, June 5 in 1940, under the great sign of including my mother and father, grandparGemini (twins), and have been forever ents, aunts, and uncles I grew up with. I try much different than most people. Hapnot to think about it much, it is too sad to pily filled with over-flowing creative dwell on for long. energy that has taken me throughout What I do think, now that I am older, Florida and North Carolina into many is that each and every person on the planet different and wonderful scenarios, some should get the opportunity to grow up of which I am not too embarrassed to where your memories will be precious and write about. the jokes funnier. When you reach almost 73 years of And, I will venture to say, Rick Bragg life on this wonderful earth, we all have is as happy as I am to be a Southerner ‘cause to catch ourselves when we tend to say, there are lots of stories left to wirte about. “Oh, yeah, I used to do that!” Some of it is funny and makes for fun and entertaining conversations, but often some of the lines just remain unsaid. Bragg, who grew up in Alabama or Writer Judy Ausley Georgia some place, has an art in telling has been a reporter it like it is, which I sometimes envy bewith newspapers in NC for 40 years. cause I did not say it first. Writing prose She retired in 2005 is often that way for many of us. When and continues to writing, I often think, “damn I wish I freelance at her had said that.” But, I move on and do home in Asheville. She can be contacted not utter a word. by e-mail at Judyausley@aol.com. He talks about sipping Nehi orange. I do remember Nehi drinks If you know a character in Asheville who but I never liked them. “Too sweet,” I has not had a conventional life, put them in touch with Judy for an article in this thought, when a friend of a neighbor column, Southern Comfort. guzzled one in the middle of hot July in

Photography Tips & Tricks Travel Photography – Part 3 of 4: Places

In my most recent column, we explored the best techniques for photographing “people”. This month, we’ll look at some of the tools and techniques required for photographing “places” while on the road.

Landscapes: How frustrating it can

be to live in the Blue Ridge Mountains, surrounded by natural beauty, but always falling short of that epic landscape photograph. There is a reason for this: landscape photography is not as easy as it may appear, despite having such an abundance of awe-inspiring subject matter to work with! Here are a few tips on capturing that elusive winning landscape:

• Try to include a “point of interest” in the frame (e.g., a barn, tree, rocky out-crop, etc.) that draws the viewer in – and keeps them there! • Look for color contrast to add interest to the photograph. • Use a narrow aperture to provide depthof-field / focus. • Use a tripod and cable release to limit blur due to camera shake. • Consider using a polarizing filter, or graduated neutral density filter. • Employ the “rule of thirds” in your composition (but know when to break the rule). • Take advantage of early and evening light. • Experiment with different lenses and lens focal lengths.

Cusco, Peru Photo by David Simchock

For more on photographing places, including tips and tricks on photographing markets, please visit the “got f-stop?” photo blog: www.gotfstop.com

Cities: Personally, I find that there are more opportunities in an urban environment than there are in nature, but perhaps that’s the Northeast coming out in me, and my familiarity with the likes of New York City and Philadelphia! In any event, here are a few things to think about when you find yourself in a place with more concrete than greenery:

DAVID SIMCHOCK

• Be aware of the perspective of your content and lines, keeping in mind things such as convergence, divergence, perpendicularity and symmetry. • If you are going for perfect symmetry in the shot, be sure to nail it! • Shoot wide for cityscapes, and tight for architectural detail. • Be aware of the light direction and contrast, and observe shadows to ensure that they are not distracting from the subject matter. • When shooting inside, decide whether a flash would be useful (if allowed), or if you are better off working with the ambient / available light, while possibly using a tripod (if allowed) to deal with slow shutter speeds. • If night photography is your thing, start your work in the twilight and shoot into the darkness. Chances are, the shots taken before the sky turns total black will be your best shots.

Nepal Photo by David Simchock

Tune in next month for Part 4 of our Travel Photography feature (“Things”).

David Simchock is a professional photographer and instructor based in Asheville’s River Arts District. For more about David, including his popular Vagabond Vistas Photo Tours, visit www.DijonCreative.com.

• Work with architectural lines and shapes in your composition, remembering that the relationship between these lines and objects to the frame edges is crucial to the effectiveness and balance of the image.

Folkmoot Celebrates 30 Years

Folkmoot USA celebrates its 30th Anniversary with the “BIG 30” at Sid’s on Main in Canton, Friday, May 3 from 6-10 p.m. This prefestival celebration features heavy hors d’oeuvres, music, cash bar, and live and silent auctions. Tickets are $50. Call (828) 452-2997 or email dlavela@folkmoot.com for tickets. Folkmoot’s Special Anniversary Festival takes place July 17-28. Although performances are centered in Haywood County, Folkmoot can be experienced in Waynesville, Clyde, Canton, Maggie Valley, Asheville, Hendersonville, Franklin, and Burnsville. This year, in recognition of the mountain communities who have supported

Folkmoot for 30 years, the festival will feature local Appalachian music and dance at flagship performances in Haywood County. Folkmoot has also invited the Warriors of Anikituwah to perform and share the local culture of The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Other world cultures performing at Folkmoot this summer include: Paraguay, Thailand, Slovakia, Mexico, Japan, Canada (Scottish Highland Dance), Martinique and France (Stilt Walkers).

IF YOU GO: For more information, or to

purchase tickets, go to www.FolkmootUSA. org or call 877-FolkUSA (877-365-5872).

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 33

R A P I D

Live Jazz + Dinner

Live Jazz + Dinner at the K M Classic Wineseller BY

NYC Jazz Vocalist,

Miles Griffith

PG. 40

$34.99 per person

ILLER

The Classic Wineseller hosts the area’s best jazz artists up close and personal in a cozy, intimate setting.

$34.99 per person

Reservations required.

A R T S

WAYNESVILLE

WILD ABOUT

Mother’s Day Weekend Saturday, May 11 at 7pm

Saturday, May 18 at 7pm Dave Burns Trio

R I V E R

Famed NYC Jazz Singer – May 11 20 Church Street, Waynesville www.classicwineseller.com

828-452-6000

PG. 40

The Classic Wineseller is hosting a special Mother’s Day Weekend Live Jazz + Dinner event with visiting NYC jazz singer, Miles Griffith on Saturday, May 11 at 7 p.m. In just a few short Miles Griffith years, Miles Griffith’s bold approach to music has placed him on the forefront of the modern jazz scene. Mr. Griffith will be joined by Michael Jefry Stevens piano, and Mike Holstein bass. The evening includes a special four-course dinner prepared in the Wineseller’s kitchen.

Dave Burns Jazz Trio – May 18 The Classic Wineseller will host a Live Jazz + Dinner event featuring the Dave Burns Trio on Saturday, May 18 at 7 p.m. The trio is comprised of Dave Burns keyboard, James Simmons bass, and Jeff Rudolph percussion. The evening also includes Dave Burns a sumptuous four-course dinner from the Classic Wineseller’s kitchen. Mr. Burns is a recent addition to the Asheville area music scene. He performed for more than twenty-five years in Key West, Florida where he set the standard with his intelligent, hard-swinging musicianship. IF YOU The price is $34.99 per person before tax and GO gratuity for each show. The Classic Wineseller, 20

Church St. in Waynesville. Call (828) 452-6000 to make reservations or email info@classicwineseller. com. Seating is limited, www.classicwineseller.com.

PG. 40

PG.

34 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

WILD ABOUT

An exhibition BY ANA WOODALL celebrating the many forms and techniques in various capacities of art in the Appalafor more than 30 chian region of North years. Carolina opens this Patti Best, a selfmonth at Gallery 86. taught artist, has a The North somewhat traditional Carolina Mountains style – Best seeks to have become a meltkeep her paintings ing pot of Appalachian soft, while staying arts and crafts of the true to nature. Appalachian region. Sandra Brugh The arts and crafts of Moore captures the Appalachia include moods of the mounmany forms such tains by exploring as pottery, basketry, new painting techwoodturning, and Aidan's Walk by Patti Best niques. Her works music. This culture is capture the peace and how the people of this spirit of the landscape. region thrived. Haywood County Arts James Smythe is a retired art Council’s exhibit, Appalachia, comprofessor who now enjoys painting memorates many of these forms and full-time. He has significant training in techniques. art at the university level. The featured artists of Appalachia Crystal Allen, a native of Western include: Doc Welty, Patti Best, Sandra North Carolina, works in mid-range Brugh Moore, James Smythe, Crystal stoneware clay, which she says does Allen, Mike McKinney, Matt Tomequally well for wheel thrown or hand mey, Caryl Brt, Susan Balentine, and built work. Kaaren Stoner. Mike McKinney is a third generaDoc Welty is currently a pottion woodworker following in the steps ter and proprietor of Leicester Valley of his granddaddy and father. Clay. He has been in the pottery field Matt Tommey’s interest in fine craft and handmade baskets fuels his passion for using natural materials. Caryl Brt builds furniture and makes items in a broad range of styles and types of wood. I sometimes use recycled objects and like to dabble in metal-working, polymer clay and Construction is underway for the hand-made paper. Waynesville Skatepark. The new 8,000 Susan Balentine creates functional, square foot park will be located on individually thrown pottery which Vance Street, at the site of the former she paints with a wax resist in nature horse ring. inspired designs. For more information please call Kaaren Stoner’s source of inspirathe Waynesville Parks and Recreation tion through 35 years of working with Department at (828) 456-2030 or visit clay is her endless fascination with the www.townofwaynesville.org. beauty of leaves, grasses, flowers, rocks and landscapes. An artist’s reception will be held Friday, June 7 during Waynesville’s Art After Dark event, from 6-9 p.m.

Waynesville Skatepark

IF YOU Appalachia, on display GO Wednesday, May 30 through

Enjoy the beauty of spring at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Saturday, June 29, 2013. Gallery 86, 86 N. Main Street, Waynesville, NC. For more information visit the Haywood County Arts Council, www.haywoodarts.org.

fine art

WAYNESVILLE

“Appalachia” at Gallery 86

INTERVIEW WITH DOC WELTY OWNER OF

Leicester Valley Clay

Rapid R apid River Magazine: Tell us a little about Leicester L eicester Valley Clay.

INTERVIEWED BY

DENNIS RAY

Doc Welty: All my pieces

of handcrafted stoneware forms are informed by a strong Carolina pottery tradition with an added aspect of raised slip decoration. All the pieces are designed for everyday use in and around the home. Samples of the work can be viewed at www.leicestervalleyclay.com

RRM: What pottery prod-

ucts do you carry and what are your biggest sellers?

DW: I currently create a

wide array of pieces for the home, kitchen and garden — plates, cups bowls, casseroles and the like for kitchen use, vases, tile-work and planters for the home, and large garden urns and figurative sculpture for the outdoors. One of the most popular items are the outdoor garden urns and planters.

Leicester Valley Clay Studio

RRM: What drew you to being a pottery artist?

DW: I first became inter-

ested in clay when I was attending art school in Doc Welty Photo by Liza Becker Indianapolis in 1972. I have since always been interested in the possibilities clay offers for expression. occasional “yard troll.” They are fun to make The ability to fashion almost limitless forms and have around the studio, even if they appeals to my creative side while the goal don’t talk much. of acheiveng an aesthetic and usefull piece RRM: Any upcoming events or sales you’d appeals to my practical side. like to share with us at this time? RRM: Tell us a little about your clay sculpDW: Our next local show will be May 18 tures. at Morganton, NC for the Joara Pottery

DW: Aside from the traditional wheel turned

wares. I often take a break from the routine and work up some of my figurative sculptural pieces which range from Victorian people candle holders to large animal Doc Welty decorates a vase. planters and yes, even the Photo by Liza Becker

Festival, www.joarapotteryfestival.com. The studio is open most all the time and we especially invite everyone to visit August 17 & 18 during the annual “Come to Leicester” studio tour, www.cometoleicester.com.

Leicester Valley Clay 854 South Turkey Creek Leicester, NC 28748 (828) 683-8726 www.leicestervalleyclay.com

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 35

Join Us May 9-12 Oct 17-20 Black Mountain, North Carolina

Play outdoors at LEAF’s friend-&-family festival tradition: zipline, camp, paddleboard, canoe, kick back, dance, relax with yoga in the beautiful Featured Performers Include: Mavis Staples t Steel Pulse t Ozomatli t Abigail Washburn mountain Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band t Oliver Mtukudzi & the Black Spirits t Solas t Papa Grows Funk camp setting. MC Yogi t Lizz Wright t Ben Sollee t Honey Island Swamp Band t Orgone & so much more!

fine art Finding One’s Place as an Artist

IS ONE WHERE ONE WOULD LIKE TO BE?

One of the tough quesBY GREG VINEYARD tions on our creative journeys – besides “How do food repof the world is really quite licators on Star Trek ACTUsmall. Sometimes I see the ALLY WORK??” – is, simply: synchronous events occur“Where am I going?” Not ring in my life, and other always easy to answer, is it? times I can’t even come close Some sources sugto guessing how a situation gest looking to the past to came about. I’m reminded of see where we’ve been, for the phrase: “When a butterfly history teaches us much. flaps its wings in Madagascar, Others insist upon mapping out future minutiae to secure Chain Reaction. Mixed-media it causes a hurricane in your backyard” (or something like by Greg Vineyard a foothold. My experience that). Any set of events is a is I can’t predict events that long and complicated – yet connected - chain might adversely re-shape my life even five reaction that we’ll never fully comprehend. minutes from now, let alone over the course While I have more or less learned to of any given year. By the same token, I also trust my path (even if I don’t always undercan’t fore-tell when something great is just stand it), it helps to shed my shut-in persona around that next corner. But I’ve learned now and then to find like-minded people to trust that good things balance-out life’s with whom to hang out. Most recently, my catastrophes. I’ve observed this over and affiliation with ZaPow Illustration Gallery over again. in downtown Asheville has been the biggest Despite my global view, my little corner example of this phenom. As an artist, I have been drawing since earliest memory. Somewhere in the midst of my Point A to Point B path in school, I switched my fine art discipline to something more commercial. While that resulted in a fascinating journey, that very simple dream of making a living from drawing is still at the center of my brain. And when I least expected it, I found my people. Asheville is a kind of magical place. What are the chances that I would relocate to a town that’s now home to a rare style of gallery, one dedicated to illustration, narrative and story-telling? Where I could draw what I love to draw, participate in workshops, and interact with a community that cares about my wishes, dreams and progression? A professional passel that loves to draw and celebrates life. As co-owner Lauren Johnson, herself an accomplished illustrator known as LjPatton, says: “A rising tide floats all boats.” But things don’t just fall into our laps. A little effort and outreach is needed. The way I entered the ZaPow world was via a public workshop; I then eventually (and timidly, I might add) asked about submitting my work for consideration. I really, really, really wanted to be a part of this, but was also a bit insecure. My past holds some interesting experiences with rejection in the art world, along with some freakishly fun opportunities and recognition. For a long time, I didn’t notice the evenness, but looking back over my life, I can see that the positive butterfly flaps have balanced out the negative ones. And if they didn’t, I’d have a hurricane in my back yard – right? continued on page 37

36 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

healthy lifestyles Am I Allergic to Myself?

What disease affects 23.5 million Americans? This disease affects 2.5 times more people than cancer, costs $100 billion in direct expenses (2 times as much as cancer), receives 1/12 of the research funding ($594 million) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as cancer ($6.1 billion), and is the tenth leading cause of deaths in women under 65? Answer: Autoimmune disease. Not familiar to you? With one in six Americans affected, you likely know someone with a manifestation of this disease process. In simple terms, our human body has many immune systems that protect it from “foreign” proteins – from bacteria, viruses, parasites, cancer cells (enough different that the body views them as “foreign”), and plant or animal matter that accidentally or purposefully enters the body. This “protective” response to invasion by “foreign” proteins can include things eaten, things injected or infused, and things purposefully placed in the body, including transplanted organs. The elements of these “policing” systems – white blood cells, bone marrow, thymus gland, other lymphoid tissues – produce hormones, antibodies, and other protein substances that identify, attach to (mark), combine with,

‘One’s Place’ continued from page 36

Sometimes, seeming setbacks are opportunities to do things like try harder and seek more supportive environments. A little action helps one find one’s actual people, not the people one might have thought one was supposed to be hanging with. My experience at ZaPow has been fun, nurturing, friendly, developmental and awesome. A butterfly flapped its wings in California, and I was blown eastward. A butterfly flapped its wings for Lauren and her husband Matt, and an illustration gallery was born. A little reaching past my old limitations, and I’m inside their store rather than just looking in the window with my reflection asking me: “Where did the time go?” So, if you wrestle with the “Where am I going?” question… perhaps ask yourself what is that core, passionate, spine-tingling activity that you love to do, or still want to expand

and call other cells to destroy these invaders. In addition, other systems – vascular, inflammatory, hormonal, and endocrinal – are called into play to enhance these destructive functions. While this wonderful set of immune systems can protect us from infections, cancers, and other invaders, occasionally one of these systems can “over-react” to what it thinks is an invader.

Be knowledgeable about your family history. By one of several mechanisms, this “police force” becomes confused and begins to attack specific tissues of our own body, either specific tissues of an organ (e.g. eye, kidney, skin, or heart), or a specific protein type that functions in many places in the body (like insulin or thyroid hormone or the lining of blood vessels). In this way, the body’s police force – the immune system – becomes self-destructive. This is autoimmune disease (AD). It is not an allergic reaction, but it can be a severe and deadly hypersensitivity gone awry. While the expression of AD can be as varied as the many organ systems, treatment is very similar. Replacement of various hormones or body functions must be done and symptoms ame-

in your life? What feeds your soul, and are you doing it? What is one thing you can do today to nurture the You (artist or not) that is unrestricted from past definitions? The future is pretty much wide open, especially if you remember that not all butterfly wing flaps are bad. I wish you much success today as you search for your people – the ones who will help float your boat on that rising tide!

Greg Vineyard is an artist, writer and creative consultant in Asheville, NC. ZaPOW Gallery in downtown Asheville carries his illustrations, giclees and cards (www.zapow.com). Find his clay works at Gallery 262 in Waynesville and at Taupe Gallery in North Wilkesboro. www.gregvineyardillustration.com

MAX HAMMONDS, MD

liorated, otherwise, the treatment is to dampen down the “over-reaction” with steroids, NSAIDS, or immunosuppressive medications. More specific descriptions of the various manifestations and treatments can be found at the American Autoimmune and Related Diseases Association website, www.aarda.org But in general, the disease process occurs in families, requiring certain susceptible gene combinations, occurs in females over males by three-to-one, and is set off by environmental triggers. Therefore, one line of defense is to be aware of unusual symptoms, be knowledgeable of your family history, and avoid environmental triggers (like smoking and sunburn). But prevention is key. Make all the lifestyle choices possible that dampen down immune over-reactivity: regular and adequate rest, regular exercise, avoidance of unnecessary medicines, herbals, and other chemicals in the environment, stress control, and well-balanced nutritional selections with omega-3 fatty acids, anti-oxidants, and phytochemicals – in other words, fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts – to maintain ideal weight. Sound familiar?

‘Stillness’ continued from page 27

humanity can rise. Walk in Presence and know, Thou art That, vast and deep and still. Presence. Presence. Presence in awareness. Awareness as Presence, just this, and big as all Creation. You need know nothing more than this. This is the practical, mystical Truth. 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. He holds a weekly meditation class, Mondays, 7 p.m., at the Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood. By donation. 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 and schedule of coming events at www.billwalz.com

Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 37

what to do guide

Friday, May 3

Saturday, May 4

Friday, May 10

Being Present

Narratives at the Bender Gallery

Mine & Yours Consignments Grand Re-Opening

Artists Second Sale

Fused glass sculptures by Lesley CS Nolan and goblets by Mathieu Grodet and Anna Boothe. Knitted glass Passion, Lesley sculpture by Carol CS Nolan Milne. Reception from 5-8 p.m. The Bender Gallery, 12 S. Lexington Ave., downtown Asheville, (828) 505-8341.

Everything will be on sale. Refreshments plus drawings for gift certificates. From 10-5 p.m. at Mine & Yours Consignments, 234 New Leicester Hwy. Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-5. (828) 251-9231, www.mineandyoursconsignments.com

Friday, May 3

Preview and select from a vast collection of fine art prints. Free with membership or regular museum admission. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square, Asheville. Phone (828) 253-3227, www.ashevilleart.org.

Floyd Kemp Reception Held from 5:30 to 8 p.m for Kemp’s exhibition “From My Garden.” On display through May 31, 2013. The Asheville Gallery of Art, 16 College Street in downtown Asheville. Call (828) 251-5796 or visit www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com

Friday, May 3

The Wilhelm Brothers CD Release Party Singer/songwriter Chris Wilhelm and cellist Cristof Ensslin perform works that are joyful, soulful and embracing. 7 to 9 p.m. at The Hop Ice Cream Cafe, 640 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Visit www. thewilhelmbrothers.com

How to place an event/ classified listing with Rapid River Art Magazine Any “free” event open to the public can be listed at no charge up to 30 words. For all other events there is a $14.95 charge up to 35 words and 12 cents for each additional word. 65 word limit per event. Sponsored listings (shown in boxes) can be purchased for $18 per column inch. Deadline is the 19th of each month. Payment must be made prior to printing. Email Beth Gossett at: ads@rapidrivermagazine.com Or mail to: 85 N. Main St, Canton, NC 28716. Call (828) 646-0071 to place ad over the phone.

– Disclaimer – Due to the overwhelming number of local event submissions we get for our “What to Do Guide” each month, we can not accept entries that do not specifically follow our publication’s format. Non-paid event listings must be 30 words or less, and both paid and non-paid listings must provide information in the following format: date, time, brief description of your event, and any contact information. Any entries not following this format will not be considered for publication.

at the PUSH Gallery The Art and Time Squanderings of Richard Kirby. Reception from 7-10 p.m. On display until June 18. PUSH Gallery, 25 Patton Ave., Asheville.

Friday, May 3

Saturday & Sunday, May 4 & 5

Fine Art Print Fair

Installation at Wesley Grant as part of the First Friday Art Walk series from 4-7 p.m. A free question and answer session, open to the public, will be held Friday, May 3 at 6 p.m. at the Wesley Grant Center. A light reception will precede the talk at 5 p.m.

May 3 & 4

Asheville Wordfest 2013 36 Montford Ave., 2nd floor. Free and accessible. Contact (828) 407-4268 or visit www.ashevillewordfest.com

May 3-5

BLUE to BLACK Art Weekend Includes the E.A.S.T. of Asheville Studio Tour, with an emphasis on Black Mountain artists. The BLUE to BLACK Art Stroll applies to Cheshire Village and downtown Black Mountain Art venues and galleries. Open house Saturday, May 4 from 5-7 p.m. Contact Cappi Macsherry at (828) 707-7615, or visit www.bluetoblackweekend.com

May 3, 4 & 18

Under the Sea Underwater photography by Dr. John Highsmith. On display, May 1-27, 2013. Opening reception Friday, May 3 from 6-9 p.m. Gallery 86, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville, NC. For more details visit www.haywoodarts.org.

Friday, May 3 & Friday, June 7

Waynesville’s Art After Dark Stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street and Depot Street. Galleries stay open late with an offering of food, wine and live music. View live demonstrations. Art After Dark takes place the first Friday of each month, May through December.

In conjunction with the first French Broad Friday in downtown Marshall. Sale from 5-8 p.m. Pick up some beautiful work at a great price! Madison County Arts Council Arts Center, 90 S. Main, Marshall, NC. www.madisoncountyarts.com

Friday, May 10

Earphunk, East Coast Dirt, and The Captain Midnight Band Three bands bring their eclectic sounds to the Emerald Lounge, 112 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville. Show at 9 p.m. $8 adv. $10 day of show.

Saturday, May 11

Birds Are Messengers

May 4 & May 18

Craft Workshops

The Megaphone Project

The first workshop will be held on May 4 and the second will be on May 18. Held upstairs at Gallery 86 from 2-4 p.m. The fee for each child is $5. Maxmium of 15 children. Call the Haywood County Arts Council at (828) 452-0593 to sign up. 86 N. Main St., Waynesville, NC. For more information, visit www.haywoodarts.org.

Sunday & Monday, May 5 & 6

Auditions for “Brigadoon” The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will hold auditions for its July production of the classic Broadway musical at 6:30 p.m. The show opens July 12 for a four weekend run. Lead roles for all ages and a large singing chorus and a dance corps. Auditions will be held in the Feichter Studio of the HART Theatre, 250 Pigeon St. in Waynesville.

Sunday, May 5

Blue Ridge Orchestra Where can you hear Bach, Beethoven, Teleman and Mendelssohn performed by chorus and orchestra for no admission fee? St. Matthias Church, 1 Dundee Street, Asheville, at 3 p.m. Donations greatly accepted. Details at www.blueridgeorchestra.org.

May 9-12

LEAF Festival Voices of Tradition themed lineup. In Black Mountain. For the full schedule visit www.theLEAF.org.

Friday, May 10

David Holt and Mountain Faith Concert held at Coulter Hall at WCU, Cullowhee, NC at 7 p.m. $10. For more information contact Heather Gordon, Jackson County 4-H, (828) 586-4009.

Art by Lucretia Speas. Opening reception from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Riverside Studios, 174 W. Haywood Street. There will be live music and light refreshments.

Saturday, May 11

227 Cumberland Ave. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cafeteria style with a variety of Greek gourmet dishes. Carry out from 10:30 a.m to 2 p.m. Call (828) 2533754 between 9-1 p.m. to place your order, or the Hellenic Center at (828) 254-7424 on the day of the event.

Monday, May 13

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo An educational, family friendly, performance interspersed with interactive audience participation. Doors open at 10:30 a.m; show at 11 a.m. at The Orange Peel. Tickets: $3 students; $5 adults, www.theorangepeel.net.

Tuesday, May 14

The Wildgardener and Wildflowers of WNC Peter Loewer presents a PowerPoint talk about WNC wildflowers, including both native species and some benign exotics or interlopers at 5 p.m. At the Canton Library of Haywood County. Join us as the Wild Gardener tells us of the profusion of wildflowers springing up in our Western NC mountains.

Balsam Range

May 17-26

The incredible bluegrass outfit performs a benefit for the Appalachian Barn Alliance. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. Phone (828) 649-1301. Madison County Arts Center, 90 S. Main Street in Marshall, NC. Visit www.madisoncountyarts.com.

Swan Lake with a Splash A modern ballet based on the classic German folk tale. At the BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St., downtown Asheville. For more information and to purchase tickets call (828) 254-2621 or visit www.acdt.org.

Saturday, May 11

Saturday, May 18

Miles Griffith Live Jazz + Dinner with NYC jazz vocalist at 7 p.m. Tickets: $34.99pp. Reservations at (828) 452-6000 or info@ classicwineseller.com. The Classic Wineseller, 20 Church St., Waynesville.

Saturday, May 11

Pastel Demonstration The Appalachian Pastel Society meets from 10 a.m. to noon with a free demonstration by pastelist Kurt Weiser. In a continuing workshop held from 1-4 p.m. Kurt will demonstrate how to set up and photograph the finished painting. $45 members/$55 non-members At the Black Mountain Library, 105 N. Dougherty St. Visit www.appalachianpastelsociety.org or call Miriam Hughes at (610) 389-0058.

Sunday, May 12

Greek Luncheon & Bake Sale The Annual AHEPA luncheon, held at the Morris Cultural Center of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church,

Garden Show and Sale From 9-4 p.m. at the historic Monte Vista Hotel, 308 W. State Street, in Black Mountain. Perennials, annuals, herbs, vegetable plants, native trees, shrubs, garden accessories, and great food. Silent auction from 9-2. Visit www. blackmountainbeautification.org

Saturday, May 18

Dave Burns Trio Live Jazz + Dinner at 7 p.m., Tickets: $34.99pp. Reservations at (828) 452-6000 or info@classicwineseller.com. The Classic Wineseller, 20 Church St., Waynesville.

Sunday, May 19

Haywood Community Band Free concert at 6:30 p.m. features memorable music from the past. Bring a picnic dinner. Held at the pavilion adjacent to the Maggie Valley Town Hall. For more information call Rhonda Wilson Kram at (828) 456-4880 or visit www.haywoodcommunityband.org

MAY EVENTS ~ ANNOUNCEMENTS ~ OPENINGS ~ SALES 38 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

™

through May Luminous new work in oils from the Natural World by Waynesville artist, Jo Ridge Kelley. Art After Dark is Friday, May 3 from 6-9 p.m. Jo will be demonstrating then, and again on Saturday, May 25 from 11-4 p.m. Twigs & Leaves Gallery, 98 N. Main Street, Waynesville. (828) 456-1940, www.twigsandleaves.com

what to do guide Saturday, May 25

Curve Studio + Shop Grand Opening

Best in Show

™

by Phil Juliano

New grouping of four artists at #9 Curve Studio + Shop. Memorial Day Weekend from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 9 Riverside Drive in Asheville’s River Arts District.

First Friday Gallery Walk Friday, May 3 & Friday, June 7 The Downtown Asheville Arts District hosts First Fridays from 5-8 p.m. every month through December. More than 25 galleries and museums in downtown Asheville will host receptions and exhibitions.

Friday, May 31; Saturday, June 1

Dueling Sopranos Do Eco-Opera Opera Creations presents a comedy featuring two sopranos, Karen Svites and Simone Vigilante. Doors open at 6:30 for wine and beverages. Show at 7:30 p.m at the Wysteria Event Center, 56 N. Main St., Weaverville. Tickets at www.operacreations.org.

Don’t worry about parking or tired feet. Complimentary trolley service will be running during the event. Park at the Asheville Visitors Center and hop on!

Dragin

by Michael Cole

www.DowntownAshevilleArtDistrict.org

Saturday, June 1

Cory Bradley Exhibit

Jazz Cabaret Dinner Concerts

Opening reception for Bradley’s brightly colored, large-scale oil paintings from 6-9 p.m. in the Flood Gallery of the Phil Mechanic Studios Building, 109 Roberts Street, in the River Arts District. For more information, call (828) 254-2166, or visit www.floodgallery.org.

May 24: “Boys Night Out” - Russ Wilson,

Harry Shultz, Jesse Earl Jr., Nathan Hefner, Zack Page, Rick Dilling

June 28: “Love, Lies and Liasons” - Wendy Jones, Michael Jefry Stevens, Zack Page, Rick Dilling.

July 26: “Straight From the Heart” -

Sunday, June 2

Rockell Scott, Bill Bares, Zack Page, Justin Watt.

Zipping for Autism Team-up for the exhilarating experience of zipping through the treetops to support the Autism Society of NC. Teams of 10 will raise a minimum of $790. Teams must register online at www.zippingforautism.com by May 22. Asheville Zipline Canopy Adventures, 1 Resort Drive in Asheville.

Callie & Cats

by Amy Downs

John Mac Kah Workshops and Classes

Saturday, June 8

Keller Williams With The Travelin’ McCourys. All ages welcome. Pisgah Brewing Company, 150 Eastside Drive, Black Mountain, 6 p.m. Doors open 5 p.m. For more information, contact (828) 6690190 or visit www.pisgahbrewing.com

Saturday, June 8

Corgi Tales

by Phil Hawkins

BBQ cook off from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Live music, a silent auction, arts and craft, children’s games, and hot air balloon rides. Tickets are $5. Held at the Hickory Fairgrounds, 1127 US Highway 70 in Newton, NC. For more information call (828) 221-8686.

location

May 5-11: John C. Campbell Folk School. The Painter’s Craft: Plein-Air in Oils. Workshop on the campus in Brasstown, NC. View catalog and register at www. folkschool.org

May 17-19: Natural Painting in Oils

Artists Sought Sam’s Club is seeking artists interested in displaying work at Sam’s Smoke Off BBQ Festival on June 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event will be held at the Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds, 1127 US Highway 70 in Newton, NC. Application fee is $50. The Smoke Off is also looking for food, commercial and non profit vendors. For more information and applications call (828) 221-8686 or email samssmokeoff@ gmail.com.

Saturday morning and afternoon instruction from 9-5 p.m. in my studio or plein air, for beginners and intermediates. Still life, texture studies, color and skill development. Easels provided, otherwise bring your own materials. Some materials fees may apply. Plein air, weather permitting.

May 24-26: Spring Color in Open Air June 1-3: Summer Palette, painting on

Sam’s Smoke Off BBQ Festival

Deadline: May 24, 2013

White Horse Black Mountain 105c Montreat Road, (828) 669-0816

Ratchet and Spin

by T. Oder and R. Woods

– Sponsored by Mt. Arts Association. Great Mountain Retreats (828) 835-3275, www. GreatMountainRetreats.com One-on-one instruction by appointment. John Mac Kah Studio, 122 Riverside Dr. (828) 225-5000, www.jmackah.com

Classes at River’s Edge Studio All skill levels welcomed! 191 Lyman Street, Studio #310 in the River Arts District. For more information and schedule call (828) 776-2716 or visit www.fletamonaghan.com. www.jackiewoods.org • Copyright 2012 Adawehi Press

CLASSES ~ AUDITIONS ~ ARTS & CRAFTS ~ READINGS Vol. 16, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2013 39

find it here AmiciMusic www.amicimusic.org

Charlotte Street Computers (828) 225-6600

Explore Black Mountain

www.ExploreBlackMountain.com

John Mac Kah www.johnmackah.com

Nancy Silver Art www.nancysilverart.com

Soapy Dog www.thesoapydog.com

AnTHM www.anthmgallery.com

Chifferobe

www.chifferobehomeandgarden.com

Faison O'Neil Gallery www.faisononeil.com

Jonas Gerard Fine Art www.jonasgerard.com

North Carolina Stage Company www.ncstage.org

Southern Highland Craft Guild www.craftguild.org

Asheville Art In The Park www.ashevilleartinthepark.com

The Chocolate Fetish www.chocolatefetish.com

Frugal Framer www.frugalframer.com

Julia Fosson Fine Art www.juliafosson.com

O’Charley’s www.ocharleys.com

The Spice & Tea Exchange www.spiceandtea.com

The Asheville Ballet www.ashevilleballet.com

Claymates www.claymatespottery.com

GD Whalen Photography www.gdwhalen.com

Karen Keil Brown www.karenkbrown.com

Oil & Vinegar Asheville

www.asheville.oilandvinegarusa.com

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Asheville Symphony www.ashevillesymphony.org

Cottonmill Studios www.cottonmillstudiosnc.com

Grace Carol Bomer Fine Art www.gracecarolbomer.com

Kenilworth Arts Studio Tour www.kenilworthartists.org

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Dogwood Restaurant & Lounge (828) 665-3800

Hearn’s Bicycle (828) 253-4800

Malaprops Bookstore/Cafe www.malaprops.com

Potter’s Mark www.pottersmark.com

Updraft Fine Art Gallery www.updraftgallery.com

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Donatelli Cakes & Pastries www.donatellicakedesigns.com

High Country Style (828) 452-3611

Mine & Yours Consignments

Satellite Gallery www.thesatellitegallery.com

The Wine Guy www.theashevillewineguy.com

R. Bruce Brennan

Double Exposure Giclee www.doubleexposureart.com

Jeff Pittman Fine Art www.jeffpittman.com

Mountain Top Appliance

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40 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

R A P I D

R I V E R

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fine art R. Bruce Brennanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Candescence of the Starsâ&#x20AC;?

Award-winning artist, R. Bruce Brennan will exhibit a collection of contemporary paintings at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery in New York. Cezanne declared, â&#x20AC;&#x153;One is neither too scrupulous nor too sincere nor too submissive to nature; but one is more or less master of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s model, and, above all, of the means of expression.â&#x20AC;? Contemporary artist R. Bruce Brennan channels imagery from around the world, including turbulent seascapes, serene snowcovered meadows, and boisterous city streets, through his imagination to express the vibrant energy of these distant locales. R. Bruce Brennan captures the vitality and energy of natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s End of Day, oil on canvas glory, stating, â&#x20AC;&#x153;As an artist I try and portray the incarnation of by R. Bruce Brennan something fantastic and luminous in the existential reality of the universe.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; He is a world traveler, and his wanderlust marshals him around the world to locations including Australia, Europe, New Zealand, Asia, and Central America. His Expressionist oil on canvas creations are inspired by his memories of landscapes and seascapes once visited. His sublime vistas are not exact replications but instead novel interpretations of nature influenced and driven by the unbridled imagination. Mr. Brennanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s series exhibits the wonderful world in all of its glory by capturing the luscious colors of every scene, from dawning suns and bright midday sights to midnight hued atmospheric sunsets. His dynamic paintings visually resemble natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bounty, but instead of defining exact places in his opulent creations, Mr. Brennan allows the viewers to personally interpret and place his scenes wherever their imagination sees fit, incorporating their own memories, thoughts and fantasies. Whether at sea during a turbulent storm, or capturing the billowing haze of morning mist illuminated by the dawning sun, Mr. Brennanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expressive panoramas speak a universal language, allowing all to explore within the depths of the unconscious, personally created fantastical scenarios involving the elegantly painted and lusciously hued settings. Candescence of the Stars, on display May 3 through June 4, 2013 at the Amsterdam Whitney International Fine Art Gallery in New York. Paintings are also on display at Brennanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s studio, located Frozen In, oil on canvas in Ashevilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s River Arts District. by R. Bruce Brennan

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Vol. 16, No. 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;&#x201D; May 2013 41

PG. 40

local favorites INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE WILSON OWNER OF CANDLER’S

Dogwood Restaurant & Lounge

Rapid River Magazine: Tell

us a little about The Dogus wood Restaurant & Lounge.

INTERVIEWED BY

DENNIS RAY

Bruce Wilson: Back in November 2012, I purchased Artisan

Fresh deli meats at the Dogwood Restaurant. Photo: Erica Mueller

PG. 40

Catering & Deli. The Deli serves breakfast and lunch but what about dinner? So, I opened The Dogwood Restaurant. Customers can come have a nice sit down meal with a glass of beer, wine or just sit and relax with a mixed drink. We have a wide variety of menu items that range from $7.50 - $18.50; which includes a burger menu that has 13 different burgers, priced from $7.50 – $10 (incl. fries). Mauricio Villa our Exec. Chef makes the special sauces and dressings from scratch. The bar is custom made with an oak finish. There is a mural on the wall of the Enka Clock Tower, that Bruce Wilson treats Harrison Ray to a was hand painted cone at the Artisan Ice Cream shop. by one of our emPhoto by Erica Mueller ployees, he painted from a number of old pictures and was able to incorporate some wild life on it as well. During the summer months there will be outdoor seating for the enjoyment of the warm weather and great views. If you have a small group that you want some place to meet, you can call and we can make arrangements for you to be able to meet and eat at The Dogwood.

RRM: What are your most popular dishes? BW: The most popular dish is: Chicken Alfredo, which is

kind of funny because while we were deciding on the menu items, my wife just had to add her favorite dish, but she did so without anyone knowing, until the printed menus were finished. The new Burgers are also a hit.

RRM: Tell us a little about your lunch and dinner specials. BW: We are only doing the Burgers for lunch, Tuesday – Fri-

day. We do a special for dinner every Saturday night, which changes weekly. You can check out our facebook page for this special.

PG. 40

RRM: Tell us a little about your desserts and ice-cream. BW: Vinnie Dioguardi runs the Artisan Catering & Deli PG. 40

42 May 2013 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 16, No. 9

continued on page 43

local favorites

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INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT LONG, OWNER OF

The Spice & Tea Exchange of Asheville

Rapid River Magazine: Tell us a little about The T he Spice & Tea Exchange of Asheville.

INTERVIEWED BY

Our Monthly Magazine is iPad, Nook, & Kindle Friendly! www.issuu.com/rapidrivermagazine

DENNIS RAY

Robert Long Photo by Liza Becker

Robert Long: We are a spe-

www.rapidrivermagazine.com

cialty shop featuring custom culinary blends made in the store. We make blends for steak, chicken, fish, pasta, and curries. We also feature a full line of salts, flavored sugars, loose leaf teas, and nearly 100 spices.

RRM: What are your most popular springtime teas?

RL: We have a propriety line of limited springtime teas from a white tropical blend to a crème de lemon as well as our regular line of green, white, black and herbal teas.

RRM: The Spice & Tea

Exchange of Asheville has an incredible selection of gourmet spices. What are some of your bestsellers?

The Spice & Tea Exchange of Asheville features a full line of salts, flavored sugars, loose leaf teas, and nearly 100 spices.

RL: We have the freshest

selection of gourmet spices ordered weekly. Our selection of cinnamons are popular, but we also carry many different peppers and paprika, cheese powders, saffron and many others.

RRM: For the person new to tea, what do you recommend?

RL: We have a tea for just about any body

from our green teas to our black and herbal teas. For a green tea, our tropical blend is wonderful. For an herbal the blood orange smoothie and for a black tea the coconut oolong is very popular

RRM: Besides spices and teas what other products do you carry?

Photo by Liza Becker

RL: The highlight is our custom blends

make fresh in-house daily. We make culinary blends using our gourmet spices to accent your grilling or in-door cooking. If you want a special meal cooked at home, stop in and we can make a suggestion for any dish.

RRM: Do you offer online ordering? RL: Yes, or we ship from our store.

The Spice & Tea Exchange of Asheville

PG. 40

46 Haywood Street, Suite 101, Asheville (828) 505-7348 www.spiceandtea.com

‘Dogwood’ continued from page 42

RRM: Any changes planned for the coming months you would care to share with us?

(which I own, as well). He bakes all of our desserts from scratch. He puts a lot of time and effort into making them and is very passionate about it, too. There is a new dessert every few days, so it’s a surprise when you come in to eat. We just opened the Artisan Ice Cream shop and offer hand scooped ice cream for: cones, cups, sundaes, milk shakes, and root beer floats.

BW: We hope to have some live music

sometimes, so keep up with us on facebook. We plan on having theme nights, which will include salsa dancing after 9 p.m.

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