East of Asheville Studio Tour PAGE 18 Weaverville Art Safari PAGE 21 Kenilworth Art Studio Tour PAGE 22 Toe River Studio Tour PAGE 25
Rapid River Magazine and AmiciMusic present “An American Affair” featuring violinist Tim Schwarz, pianist Daniel Weiser, and photographer Liza Becker. PAGE 26
ARTISTS WANTED! Enter to Win Our “Magic of the Smokies” Art Contest. Prizes Galore! PAGE 27
The world premiere of Love Among the Frankensteins takes the stage at The Magnetic Field. PAGE 4
Tommy Cooley, Roger Magendie, and Mark Highsmith in HART’s production of Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward Angel. PAGE 2 PLUS INTERVIEWS WITH:
STEVEN FORBES-DESOULE Visit the studio of this Raku Pottery artist during the Weaverville Art Safari. PAGE 17
Thomas Oder and Russell Woods Steven Forbes-deSoule Rob & Beth Mangum Aaron Stone Mark Atkinson
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stage preview A Season of Blockbusters in Waynesville Begins with
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Look Homeward Angel
he Haywood Arts Regional Theater will kick off it’s 28th season in Waynesville with the Thomas Wolfe classic Look Homeward Angel. Adapted for the stage by Ketti Frings, the Pulitzer Prize winning drama is set in the fictional town of Altamont, but few will have trouble recognizing Asheville. In the 1920’s when Wolfe’s first novel debuted it was a thinly veiled autobiography that shocked his hometown. Look Homeward Angel tells the story of the Gant family, living in the fictional Altamont, and the Dixieland Boarding House, operated by a domineering matriarch who used her children as free labor. A “parade of pimps, prostitutes and ne’er-do-wells” populated the rambling barn of a house, wrote Wolfe. Young Eugene and his brother Ben joke about going to the dark side of town for a little “jellyroll,” a term that was scandalous at the time. People in Asheville recognized themselves among the book’s two hundred plus characters, and young Tom Wolfe, despite his literary success, was an outcast. The writer would not come back to Asheville for eight long years. He would title his final novel You Can’t Go Home Again.
Terry Nienhuis as Dr. Maguire, Tommy Cooley as Ben Gant, Andrea Cody as Eliza Gant.
In the book young Eugene would go off to study at Chapel Hill, just as Wolfe had done a few years before. The father in the story, W.O. is a stone carver who has spent his life trying unsuccessfully to reproduce a statue of an angel he has in his shop which was created by someone else. The actual angel is now in a graveyard in Hendersonville and is a place of pilgrimage for fans of the novel. My Old Kentucky Home is currently the Thomas Wolfe Memorial in Asheville. HART’s production is being directed by Steve Lloyd and Tom Dewees, who also played Ben in an earlier, thinner day. The cast includes Mark Highsmith as Eugene, Tommy Cooley as Ben, Andrea Cody as Eliza and Roger Magendie as W.O. with Shonda Davis, Tim Stoeckel, John Winfield, Bryan Nicholls, Charlie Marth, Christy Bishop, Jennifer Sanner, Erica Davis, Holly Ann Harmon, Terry Nienhuis, Hugh Burford and Teresa Breakey filling out the rest of the ensemble. 2 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
Tommy Cooley as Ben Gant, John Winfield as Will Pentland, Andrea Cody as Eliza Gant.
Following “Look Homeward Angel” HART will present “The Marvelous Wonderettes” debuting May 25 for a three week run. The show is set at a 1958 high school prom and features music of that period in the first act and jumps to the tenth reunion for act two, with the music of the late 60’s. The show is being directed by Mark Jones, who wowed audiences two seasons back as Buddy Holly. Jones promises an equally good time with the Wonderettes, who are played by Tierney Cody, Tabitha Judy, Morgan St. Clair, and Kelli Brown Mullinix. July will bring La Cage Aux Folles, a big splashy musical based on The Bird Cage, with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, composer of Hello Dolly and Mame. In August HART will present the Neil Simon comedy Lost in Yonkers, in October the Tony Award winning musical romance Light in the Piazza, and the season will end with the Pulitzer Prize winning August Osage County. For information about season tickets, auditions, and volunteer opportunities visit www.harttheatre.com.
IF YOU HART’s production of Look GO Homeward Angel will have
performances April 27, 28, May 3, 4, 5 at 7:30 p.m., and April 29 and May 6 at 3 p.m. Tickets: $20 for adults; $18 for seniors; student/teachers $8. Special $6 discount tickets for Students and Teachers for Thursday and Sunday only. Box Office Hours: Monday-Saturday 1-5 p.m. Call (828) 456-6322 for reservations. Tickets available at www.harttheatre.com. Performing Arts Center at the Shelton House, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville, NC.
By Ketti Frings Based on the Novel by Thomas Wolfe
Weekends, April 27 – May 6
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Weekends, July 6 - 29 Audition Dates: May 7 & 8
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stage preview Love Among the Frankensteins (A MONSTROUS COMEDY)
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he Magnetic BY CHALL GRAY Theatre is already well-known that influenced, for original paralleled, or reacted works, but their next to it; and the countproduction, the wildly less stage and screen imaginative and versions which foloccasionally outralowed. geous Love Among The show, the Frankensteins (A which is scheduled Monstrous Comedy) for a six-week run, is going to be their features some of the biggest yet. strongest performWritten and diers in Asheville, led rected by Steven Samby Darren Marshall The world premiere of Love Among uels, author of last and Tracey Johnthe Frankensteins takes the stage at year’s smash hit When ston-Crum. It also The Magnetic Field. Jekyll Met Hyde, this introduces several adventurous show newcomers to the tells the story of Henry Victor Frankenstein Magnetic stage and promises to be the Whale, a wealthy filmmaking descendant of don’t-miss theatrical event of the spring. both the lost line of the Frankensteins and Written and directed by the Magnetic James Whale, director of Frankenstein and Theatre’s artistic director Steven SamuThe Bride of Frankenstein. els, Love Among the Frankensteins stars At a crucial moment in his career, Jeremy Brett Carter, Courtney DeGennaro, Henry moves to the real Castle FrankenAlphie Hyorth, Tracey Johnston-Crum, stein in Germany, only to discover that the Darren Marshall, Joan Atwood, and Rodoriginal Frankenstein monster and his Bride ney Smith. Sets and props by Annette Grifare not only alive and kicking but presently fin, lighting by Ryan Madden, costumes occupy Castle Frankenstein, and they have by Naomi Dunn, sound design by Mary embarked upon an experiment that will Castellaneta, choreography by Kathleen either solve Henry’s problems or create “a Hahn, puppets by Madison J. Cripps, murace of devils” that destroys him. rals by Christy Farmer, practical electrics “We’re really excited about the show,” by Lauren Bacchus, set construction by said producer Chall Gray, “it’s going to Mike Coghlan, juggling assistance by Keith be our largest production ever in several Campbell, stage management by Justin ways—production values, technical team, Evans. Produced by Chall Gray. and that’s all going to come together for a really exciting evening of theatre.” Teeming with surprises too shocking to reveal, this original story in a contempoIF YOU The Magnetic Theatre, 372 Depot rary setting draws on both versions of Mary GO St. in Asheville’s River Arts District. Shelley’s Frankenstein and a wide array of Phone (828) 257-4003 or visit her other writings, including diaries and letwww.themagneticfield.com. ters; classic, Gothic, and Romantic literature
A Delightfully Funny Ballet! June 1 - 2 Diana Wortham Theatre
255-5777 PG.
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BalletConservatoryofAsheville.com
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we love this place Fiber Weekend at the Folk Art Center
RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE Established in 1997 • Volume Fifteen, Number Nine
MAY 2012
www.rapidrivermagazine.com
Publisher/Editor: Dennis Ray Managing Editor: Beth Gossett Marketing: Dennis Ray, Rick Hills Staff Photographer: Liza Becker Layout & Design: Simone Bouyer Poetry Editor: Ted Olson Accounting: Sharon Cole Distribution: Dennis Ray CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Judy Ausley, Anne Bevan, James Cassara, Michael Cole, Denise Cook, Amy Downs, Steven Forbes-deSoule, Beth Gossett, Chall Gray, Steven R. Hageman, Max Hammonds, MD, Phil Hawkins, Phil Juliano, Chip Kaufmann, Michelle Keenan, Kathie Kline, Eddie LeShure, Amanda Leslie, Marcianne Miller, April Nance, Ted Olson, T. Oder, R. Woods, Dennis Ray, Molly Sharp, Clara Sofia, Greg Vineyard, Bill Walz, Elly Wells. 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 2012 Vol. 15 No. 9
2HART Stage Preview – Look Homeward Angel . .
2 Magnetic Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 NC Stage – In The Next Room . . . 6
6PanPerformance Harmonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8JamesColumns Cassara - Music . . . . . . . . . . . Eddie LeShure - Jazz. . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Vineyard - Fine Art . . . . . . . . Ted Olson - Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . Marcianne Miller – Books . . . . . . . Judy Ausley – Southern Comfort . Bill Walz - Artful Living . . . . . . . . Max Hammonds, MD - Health . . Michael Parker – Wine . . . . . . . . . .
Steven ForbesdeSoule, who will be participating in the Weaverville Art Safari, is a member of Ariel Gallery. PAGE 17 Photo: Erica Mueller
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9Madeleine Music Peyroux . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9 Asheville Green Works Benefit . . . 10 Wendy Hayes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
11 Movie Reviews Chip Kaufmann & Michele Keenan
15 Interviews Thomas Oder and Russell Woods . Steven Forbes-deSoule . . . . . . . . . . Mangum Pottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aaron Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Atkinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18 Fine Art East of Asheville Studio Tour . . . . Weaverville Art Safari . . . . . . . . . . . Kenilworth Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mangum Pottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Toe River Studio Tour . . . . . . . . .
26 Noteworthy An American Affair . . . . . . . . . . . . On the Cover:
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Asheville Symphony . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 An American Affair . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
34 What to Do Guide Best in Show by Phil Juliano . . . . .
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Throughout the weekend of May 12-13, craftspeople will be sharing their inspiration and expertise as the Southern Highland Craft Guild hosts Fiber Weekend 2012. Educational craft demonstrations on Saturday will include: natural dyeing, sheep shearing, weaving, tapestry, and surface design. New Southern Highland Craft Guild Heritage member Donata Jones will bring her traditional demonstration of tatting to the event. Southern Highland Craft Guild Tatting by Donata Jones members Sandra Rowland and Jan Morris will host activities designed especially for children. On Sunday, May 13 the Folk Art Center’s auditorium will be transformed into a runway for the 12th Annual Fashion Show of Wearable Art. Styles showcased will range from contemporary to traditional, from funky to classic, all created by members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and other regional artists. Fiber Weekend is a free event held May 12 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), and May 13 (two fashion shows, 1 and 3 p.m.), at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in east Asheville. For more information call (828) 298-7928 or visit www.craftguild.org.
Studio Tours East of Asheville Studio Tour Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information about the artists and to download a brochure visit www.EastStudioTour.com. ARTICLE ON PAGE
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Weaverville Art Safari Saturday and Sunday, May 12-13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on the Weaverville Art Safari and participating artists contact Steven Forbes-deSoule at (828) 645-9065 or visit www.weavervilleartsafari.com. ARTICLE ON PAGE
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Kenilworth Art Studio Tour Saturday, May 26, and Sunday, May 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, photos, or a tour map visit www.kenilworthartists.org. ARTICLE ON PAGE
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Toe River Studio Tour June 8, 9 and 10. Friday, noon to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Complete information, including a map guide to the participating studios, is available before the Tour at www.toeriverarts. org or by calling (828) 682-7215. ARTICLE ON PAGE
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Rapid River Magazine Follow us online for the latest events www.rapidrivermagazine.com
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Callie & Cats by Amy Downs . . . . Corgi Tales by Phil Hawkins . . . . Dragin by Michael Cole . . . . . . . . Ratchet & Spin by T.Oder, R.Woods
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Distributed at more than 390 locations throughout eight counties in WNC and South Carolina. First copy is free – each additional copy $1.50
Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 5
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performance In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)
N Special Free Book Off ffe ff fer! —Pa —P Pat Boone
Cra Cr rashin ing in ng th t e Dolla oll r: olla H w to Ho t Su S rv r ive a Glo l bal Cu lo C rr rre rency c cy C ll Co lla lap aps pse by Craig R. Smith was written to help sav ave av ve Am A erican fa f milies f om the economic death fr spiral of a fa f lling U.S. dollar and rising inflation. T help prepare Am A ericans fo f r the dollar’s demise now, wI To w, hav ave av ve been authorized to off ffe ff fer a FREE copy of Cr Cra ras ash shin in ngg S ecia Sp i l Fr ia Fre ree Book Of Off fffeer! —P —Pa Pat Boone
Call 1-866 6666 6-709 0 -364 09 643 64 43 to t d da ay! ay
orth Carolina Stage Company’s 10th Season closes with the award-winning play In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play by Sarah Ruhl. Running May 9 through June 10, this Pulitzer Prize finalist proves yet again that truth is stranger (and funnier) than fiction. With the invention of electricity in the late 1800s came the invention of a remarkable device for treating “hysteria” and other maladies in female patients. Dr. Givings is on the cutting edge of science, and he operates a highly respected clinic out of his home, where he provides his treatments. While the subject is titillating, Sarah Ruhl’s lyrical dialogue and keen insight into the hearts of women and men make this play more than just a one-note joke. In fact, it’s as poignant as it is funny, The play is based on the actual history of the vibrator, which was not only one of the first small appliances to be electrified, but was used by 19th-century physicians as a treatment for women diagnosed with “hysteria.” Women of means and social status in Victorian America would visit the offices of medical professionals to receive treatments for these symptoms. Playwright Sarah Ruhl wrote, “Though the vibrator may have been the play’s starting point, ultimately I’m more interested in the relationships that expand around the device, and the whole notion of compartmentalization, of what goes on ‘in the next room’ — literally, in the room next to the living
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room where the vibrations take place, but also in the next room of other people’s minds, and bodies. To what extent does marriage imply a ‘next room’? Ultimately it is the silence between people, and how they manage to shatter it, that draws me to these As characters. And I think as sophisticated as we moderns are, we certainly understand silence between people —- and the comedy (or tragedy) that results when two people in adjacent rooms are unable or unwilling to speak.” Responding to the Broadway production, Charles Isherwood’s review in the New York Times called the play: “A fanciful but compassionate consideration of the treatment, and the mistreatment, of women in the late 19th century… “Ruhl’s play is hardly intended as an elaborate dirty joke at the expense of the medical profession. Her real subject is the fundamental absence of sympathy and understanding between women and the men whose rules they had to live by for so long, and the suspicion and fear surrounding female sexuality and even female fertility.” A recent winner of a MacArthur “genius” grant, Ruhl is fast leaving her mark on the American theater with hundreds of stagings of her plays across the country and abroad.
poignant as it is funny. The show is sponsored by Planned Parenthood of Asheville and offers a Pay-What-You-Can performance Wednesday, May 9 presented by Bedtyme Stories. The second week will feature several special events, “Happy Hour and a Half” and a Cast Party with champagne toast on Saturday. In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play, May 9 through June 10. Tickets for the preview performances, May 10-13, are $20. Regular ticket prices are $17-$29 based on performance, with $10 student tickets available for all performances. Show times are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with two matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday. For more details visit www.ncstage.org or call (828) 239-0263. IF YOU GO
Pan Harmonia: Mucho Música en Mayo!
ationally recognized for Vibes” – a genre-smashing 20th century songwriter Alec its artistic excellence and program transcending the Wilder to Middle Eastern creative vision, directed by boundaries of the traditional groove. flutist Kate Steinbeck, Pan Baroque setting and featurPan Harmonia collaboHarmonia (formerly Keowee ing Kate Steinbeck, flute; rates with the Hendersonville Chamber Music) has ofBarbara Weiss, Chamber Music Series and fered world-class chamber harpsichord, and Echo Cooperative in Ashemusic to WNC audiences Rosalind Buda, ville for two performances of since 2000. Celebrated for bassoon, with Baroque Vibes. Both concerts embracing diverse world Byron Hedgepeth take place on Sunday, May Rosalind Buda music from Baroque times on vibraphone and 6 — in Hendersonville at 3 to the 21st century, Pan Harpercussion. Music p.m. at First Congregational monia often mixes genres, ranges from ElizabethanChurch (tickets: $17 at the door); and styles and flavors in a single era tunes, ravishing works in downtown Asheville at 7:30 p.m. at performance. by Baroque masters JS Jubilee (tickets: $12 in advance at panIn May this superb Bach and GP Telemann, a harmonia.org or $15 at the door.) Kate Steinbeck company offers “Baroque vintage gem from mid‘Pan Harmonia’ continued on page 7 Photo: Jonathan Payne 6 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
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performance Asheville Symphony Presents
The Pines of Rome
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he Asheville Symphony BY STEVEN R. HAGEMAN Orchestra concludes its 51st season on Saturday, May 12 at 8 phony Orchestra at age 11. p.m., at Thomas Wolfe Pianist Benjamin HochAuditorium in downtown man is Ms. Koh’s husband, Asheville. The concert will and is the winner of last year’s consist of works by Schumann, prestigious Avery Fisher Career Mendelssohn, and Resphigi, Grant. Born in Jerusalem, he conducted by music director studied at the Curtis Institute Daniel Meyer, and featuring of Music and the Mannes pianist Benjamin Hochman and College of Music where his violinist Jennifer Koh. principal teachers were Claude “As springtime in Asheville Frank and Richard Goode. Pianist Benjamin comes into full blossom,” said The final work on the Hochman Meyer, “we offer a season finale program will be Pini di Roma that fits right in with the fresh (Pines of Rome) by Ottorino colors.” The first half of the evening will Resphigi. The composer’s nationalistic love consist of the Symphony No. 1 in B-flat maof Italy determined his choice of material, jor, Op. 38, “Spring” Spring by Robert Schumann, Spring” and his style was influenced by the two years which Meyer describes as containing “bubhe spent in Russia studying with the great bling energy and vivacity.” orchestrator Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Sketched by the composer in 4 days of Composed in 1924, this piece is the 1841 when he was 31, and premiered two second in Respighi’s trilogy of tone poems months later with Felix Mendelssohn coninspired by the city of Rome and its history. ducting, this was Schumann’s first completTwo free presentations will be ofed work for orchestra. He drew inspiration fered on the music and its background. On from a poem by Adolph Böttger, including Friday, May 11 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the the words: “Oh veer, veer from your course; Reuter Center on the Campus of UNCIn the valley the spring has blossomed.” Asheville, Music Director Daniel Meyer will After intermission, the Symphony discuss the music and introduce the featured will be joined by two young soloists new soloists, with Chip Kaufmann presenting to Asheville - Benjamin Hochman and the composers’ lives and times. Then, on Jennifer Koh - in the Concerto for Violin, Saturday, May 12 from 7 to 7:30 p.m., MeyPiano and String Orchestra in D minor by er will present an abridged version of his talk Felix Mendelssohn. This was written in on the music, and will introduce the soloist, 1823, when the composer was 15 years old, in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium of the US and like many of Mendelssohn’s youthful Cellular Center Asheville. Both events are works, was lost for many years. free of charge and open to the public. Violinist Jennifer Koh is recognized for her intense, commanding performances, delivered with dazzling virtuosity and IF technical assurance. Born in Chicago of YOU Tickets for the performance are GO available through the Symphony Korean parents, Ms. Koh began playing the office or the Asheville Civic Center violin by chance, choosing the instrument box office, and range in price from $55 to in a Suzuki-method program because slots $20. Visit www.ashevillesymphony.org or for learning cello and piano had been filled. call (828) 254-7046 for more information. She made her debut with the Chicago Sym-
‘Pan Harmonia’ continued from page 6
As part of its popular new 2nd Sunday @ 5 series, Pan Harmonia celebrates Mother’s Day “in the reeds,” with a unique double-reed concert featuring extraordinary bassoonist and piper, Rosalind Buda. Two favorite local musicians, pianist Vance Reese and bagpiper EJ Jones, will join Rosalind at the Altamont Theater in downtown Asheville on Sunday, May 13 at 5 p.m. This program of luscious music draws on traditions from many times and places,
exemplifying the power of simple folk melody and exploring its place in classical music. A seldom-featured instrument, the bassoon will take center stage at this performance, allowing the audience to hear its’ lyricism, expressive sound and range up close in an intimate space. IF YOU For more information: www. GO hendersonvillechambermusic.org,
(828) 890-4411; www.pan-harmonia.org, (828) 254-7123.
2 0 1 1 - 2 0 1 2 SEASON Daniel Meyer, Music Director
Call for tickets today!
saturday MAY 12, 2012 • 8pm
THE PINES OF ROME Schumann Mendelssohn Benjamin Hochman
Respighi CONCER T SPONSOR
Symphony No. 1 “Spring” Concerto for Violin and Piano Benjamin Hochman, piano Jennifer Koh, violin Pines of Rome Layden Family Foundation
Jennifer Koh
2012-2013 SEASON subscriptions now available
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FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION
828.254.7046 • www.ashevillesymphony.org Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 7
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spinning discs CD Reviews by James Cassara
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With spring rapidly moving towards summer the volume of new releases seems to have increased. Record store day – which by the time you read these words will have passed – should only add to the fun. As always be sure to buy your music from one of the many wonderful independent record stores Asheville is so fortunate to have. They’re the ones who keep us happy!
Kevin Gordon
The Decemberists
Gloryland
We All Raise Our Voices to the Air: Live Songs Capitol Records
While he releases albums at what can graciously be described at a deliberate pace – Gloryland is his first in nearly eight years – Kevin Gordon must have an inexhaustible supply of ideas and intentions. In addition to his music, which despite occasional protestations to the contrary seems to remain his main gig, Gordon is an accomplished poet, fiction writer, and highly acclaimed folk artist. Each of his various artistic expressions overlap one to the other and a comprehensive study of his work – and any such study would have to be comprehensive – reveals themes and intuitions that run throughout. When Gordon does amass enough material for a full-length disc it’s easy to imagine the paring down process as torturous. Gordon’s lyrics, as well as his melodies, are packed with so much nuance that there’s simply no way everything gets included. For Gloryland Gordon seems to have wisely reigned in his musical ambitions. The songs are intentionally story driven – much like the mid 1960’s period Dylan that Gordon is openly in awe of – while the sturdy melodic propulsions that move them forward never get in the way. Nowhere is this more noticeable than the ten minute coming of age epic “Colfax/ Step in Time” or the equally adorned “Bus to Shreveport” in which the protagonist starts out attending a ZZ Top concert but ends embroiled in a violent street fight. Between such density Gordon throws in a handful of exquisite ballads (“Pecolia’s Star” being the best) as well as a jaunty and philosophical “Trying to Get to Memphis.” Gordon’s voice, which tends to echo the laid back feel of Mark Knopfler, may take a bit of getting used to but it easily become an acquired taste. It’s best suited for the bluesy rockers “Tearing It Down” or the spooky “Nine Bells” than the slower numbers; but when the singer and the song come together watch out. The Lucinda Williams (with whom Gordon has extensively worked) meets The Rolling Stones rocker “One I Love,” buoyed by a killer guitar solo, is the album’s most cohesive moment, that magical instance where everything seems to align. Between the discriminating lyrics and shadowy melodies, Gloryland is an album of genuine depth and resilience, one that will surely stand up to repeated listens. Given the pause between Kevin Gordon albums, that might well be its greatest strength. **** 8 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
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I’ll go on record as proclaiming The Decemberists the most interesting and engaging band of the past few years, so any comments made hereafter come with that caveat. Recorded during The King Is Dead tour, in which the band was catapulted from upper middle tier to legitimate superstar status, We All Raise Our Voices to the Air manages to capture the tightness of a band clicking on all cylinders without losing any of the spontaneity that provides much of their charm. While the band has been gradually moving towards a more direct Americanainfused sound, Raise Our Voices finds the band gingerly returning to the baroque rock sound of their first few albums. Doing so allows multi-instrumentalists Chris Funk and Jenny Conlee to really shine – dispelling the notion that The Decemberists are “Colin Meloy and a bunch of other guys” – while giving the band ample room to rework songs from all phases of their career. And while nearly a third of the material is understandably culled from The King Is Dead (including a sublime “Down by the Water”) it is awfully nice to revisit such favorites as “The Bagman’s Gambit” and all three parts of the simply magnificent “Crane Wife” suite. Combine the amusing (although somewhat predictable) set list with the band’s easygoing stage presence and you have an album that almost feels like a greatest-hits compilation. In short, an excellent ‘jumping on’ point for those not yet familiar with the band as well as a reaffirmation for those of us who already adore them. ****
David Olney the Stone Deadbeet Records While he’s always been associated with folk music, in the three decades that he’s been making records David Olney has always drawn from a wide range of styles, primarily gut bucket rock and roll but just as likely Celtic, homespun country, and Sunday morning coming down styled gospel. It’s this blend of styles that makes his records so accessible – there’s virtually something for everyone – yet in some ways
prevents Olney from being as distinctive a figure as his talents might warrant. His latest, The Stone is Olney’s second installment of a planned series of six-song mini-albums tied together by a specific theme: The first, Film Noir,, was an attempt to set the stories of Raymond Chandler to music. The Stone is even more ambitious, as Olney interprets the historical Christian story of Easter. As such its greatest success is in how he does so without being either excessively mawkish – a weakness of nearly all contemporary Christian music – or academically dry and tedious. Here he takes on the multiple roles of a small-time huckster posing as a faith healer, the criminal Barabbas, a Roman centurion and (oddly enough) the donkey on which Christ entered Jerusalem. To further complicate matters he often recasts the story into modern times, in which the “cops” drag a suspect (Jesus?) down to the station where he is interrogated and beaten. Does all this work? For the most part, yes: Olney has always been a master of creating songs from unusual points of view (he once wrote a song about the Titanic from the perspective of the iceberg) and his hyper literate story style is well suited to such lofty goals. The arrangements are equally ambitious – augmented with some explosive orchestrations – and direct. The primary fault here is in trying to attempt too much in only a half dozen songs. Listening to The Stone can be an exhausting experience but, if one is willing to put forth the effort, there is plenty of pay back. ***1/2
Mairi Morrison and Alasdair Roberts Urstan Drag City Music I’ll pretext my comments here by admitting that I’ve little affinity for Celtic or Gaelic music, so any disc of such that comes my way faces an immediate uphill battle. But I am fully capable of seeing why others find it so arresting, and try to adjust my observations accordingly. I do enjoy a good anecdote, and in the case of Urstan the back story is nearly as interesting as the songs within. Through the Glasgow Centre for Contemporary Arts, Alasdair Roberts, a Scottish artist and student of traditional U.K. ‘CD’s’ continued on next page
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sound experience Vocalist Madeleine Peyroux
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folk music, made acquaintance with Mairi Morrison, a singer, actress, and playwright. The two immediately hit it off and made plans to collaborate on an album that would celebrate the Gaelic culture and language they both love. The result is a collection of tunes, both traditional and written specifically for this project, that even to my skeptical ears provide some rousing and feisty listening. The more lively numbers, particularly the stompers “Larach do Thacaidean” and “Hion Dail-a Horo Hi,” employ a basic arrangement of bass, fiddle, and drums while others add flutes, whistles, and other reeds. The traditional “Ailein Duinn” is the ancestor to the more familiar Appalachian lament “O Death” while “The Laird o’ the Drum” sounds far more like contemporary pop. The musical affection between Roberts and Morrison is obvious, and their harmonies work together beautifully. As such Urstan is a fine addition to anyone’s Gaelic collection and not a bad way to while through a rainy weekend afternoon. ***
Bap Kennedy The Sailor’s Revenge Lonely Street Discs/Proper Records One of best things about writing these reviews is coming across a musician with whom I am not familiar; given how much music I hear that’s more often than you might think, as there seems to be an infinite number of bands and performers following in the hallowed footsteps of their antecedents. It’s always a pleasant surprise and, when the musician in question turns out to be as good as is Martin (Bap) Kennedy, it’s a minor revelation. Kennedy, the older brother of Van Morrison band member Brian, first gained a measure of success with the Belfast band Energy Orchard. He has since gained a welldeserved reputation as a solo artist writing songs for and occasionally performing with Morrison, Steve Earle, Shane MacGowan and Nanci Griffith. He also has a rather unique background, one which helps broaden the scope of his songwriting. Kennedy possesses a diploma in Diamond Gemology (he is in fact a renowned figure in the field) while his wife is a songwriter, attorney, and has written a number of children’s books. Such diverse experiences certainly color his writing but, as Sailor’s Revenge aptly demonstrates, Kennedy is no stranger to matters of the heart. Co-produced by Mark Knopfler the album is a finely tuned, assured collection of 11 new songs. Much of it echoes Knopfler’s own work, particularly his soundtracks, but
BY JAMES
CASSARA
Frequently referred to as a Billie Holiday for our times, vocalist Madeleine Peyroux can best be described as a jazz singer whose heart and soul lies firmly with the blues.
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hile there are some obvious surface similarities to Holiday – and Peyroux is both respectful and awed by the vocal giants who preceded her – she is no mere derivative, possessing her own sense of phrasing and interpretation while continually expanding her stylistic repertoire. Her 1996 Atlantic Records debut, Dreamland, remains a seminal and brilliant work of the time, as the singer’s unique voice is not hindered by the overly intricate arrangements that plagued much of that decade’s music. Most of the accompaniment on the record (which featured such New York jazz luminaries as pianist Cyrus Chestnut, drummer Leon Parker, saxophonist/clarinetist James Carter, and guitarists Vernon Reid and Marc Ribot) is light and sparse, the way it should be for a singer with such an exceptional voice. How the then-unknown Peyroux was able to recruit such notables is reflective of her own fascinating story. Peyroux was born in Athens, Georgia, and raised between Southern California, Brooklyn, and Paris. She began singing at age 15, when she discovered the Latin Quarter in Paris and quickly became enamored with the street musicians and the purity of the music they made. By 1989, she was working with a group of musicians called the Riverboat Shufflers, and after working for a while as a hat passer for the group, she began singing with them. By the age of 17 she was touring Europe. The nucleus of that group, which
Kennedy is a strong enough artist to easily stand on his own. The tracks are well written, the singing is solid but unspectacular, and the musicianship first class – unsurprising, since Jerry Douglas, James Walbourne, and Dire Straits keyboardist Guy Fletcher are among those playing. Special praise, too, for Michael McGoldrick, who is stunning on flutes, pipes and whistle. But it’s Kennedy who is the real star of the show. He’s a nimble songwriter who, much like Morrison, can cover soul, country and folk with ease. He’s also smart enough to not try and emulate Van the Man’s otherworldly style (as if anyone could!) while wisely knowing his own vocal limits. All the songs are of high quality with “Jimmy Sanchez” and the title track being the clear stand outs, which makes for a fin-
Following her first extended international tour, Peyroux had a much needed hiatus, emerging in June of 2011 with Standing on the formed the basis for her first Rooftop, her debut for album, helped further her Decca Records. Among interest in the songs of Fats other gems it offered a Waller, Holiday, Ella Fitzgerrestrained yet elegant ald, and others. Though cover of the Beatles’ Dreamland was by no means “Martha My Dear,” and a straight-ahead jazz album, a pair of tunes co-writPeyroux and her producers ten with violinist Jenny take a thoroughly modern apScheinman. Peyroux proach to blues tunes from the Madeleine Peyroux enlisted a stellar core 1920s and ‘30s. She interprets band including guitarwell known standards in ways ists Marc Ribot and Chris Bruce, bassist that are both reverent and expansive. And unMe’Shell Ndegeocello, and drummer like Smith or Holiday, who weren’t known as Charlie Drayton, and guest appearances songwriters, Peyroux has become increasingby Patrick Warren and Allen Toussaint, ly comfortable at writing her own material. among others. For a variety of reasons – some related Since its release Peyroux has mainto health issues on her part – it took eight tained a steady (and more sensible) tour years for her second album to arrive. Careroutine as well as intermittently laying less Love found her on Rounder Records down basic tracks for an anticipated 2013 and working with producer/bassist Larry release. While touring is her primary love Klein. Peyroux explored a more contemposhe finds herself increasingly comfortrary and eclectic mix of covers, including able in the studio. But until such a time, Elliott Smith’s “Between the Bars,” Bob seeing Peyroux in concert, of which I’ve Dylan’s “You’re Going to Make Me Lonetwice had the pleasure, is an unforgettable some,” as well as older songs like Hank experience. Don’t miss the opportunity to Williams’ “Weary Blues.” It was very well see one of the true young stars of presentreceived and made the 2006 release of Half day jazz/blues/pop, one who relishes the the Perfect World, again a combination of past while creating the future. covers and originals, highly anticipated. Peyroux again mixed in more conIF temporary songs, including songs by Serge YOU Madeleine Peyroux and her Gainsbourg and Tom Waits, older with GO band, with guests Madeleine self penned tunes and the expected oldies. Nellie McKay at the Orange 2009’s Bare Bones was her first to feature Peel on Monday, May 14. Showtime all original compositions (some shared with is 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m. Limited co-writers) and was greeted with largely seating available for this ages 18 and over favorable reviews. show. Tickets: $36 advance; $39 door.
ished effort that is well worth seeking out. Even more so is the double disc version, which adds another dozen tracks, culled from Kennedy’s previous (and less assured) studio releases. It’s not hard to see why Morrison, Griffith, and a host of other talents hold Bap Kennedy in such high regard. One listen and I was hooked enough to go back and seek out the back catalog. ****
Patrick Watson Adventures in Your Own Backyard Domino Records By all reports Canadian Patrick Watson’s performance was *the* surprise hit of
this year’s SXSW music gathering. On the heels of that show (which, alas, I was not there to see) is his new album, which just might be what’s needed to raise Watson to that next level up. Although born in California Watson was raised in Hudson, Quebec. He began singing in the local church choirs as a boy, studying jazz and classical piano performance, composition, and arrangement, and by high school was singing and playing keyboards in the ska band Gangster Politics. After leaving that band Watson began to explore other types of music, including ambient electronica. In 2002, after returning from a trip to southeast Asia – where he was naturally influenced by the music he heard – Watson started a four-piece chamber pop ‘CD’s’ continued on page 10
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sound experience Benefit for Asheville Green Works
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rganized by Don and Louise Baker, the stellar folks who put on the long standing Mountain Spirit Coffeehouse series, the first annual Green Swan Fest takes place on the beautiful campus of Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa on June 2nd. The event celebrates and encourages the work of Asheville Green Works, a local environmental non-profit who have, for nearly four decades, worked diligently to “clean & green” Buncombe County. Performers include the Laura Blackley Trio, Angela Easterling, Michael Reno-Harrell, Dave Desmelik, Aaron LaFalce, and others. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. In addition to the great music there will be local food trucks, locally brewed Angela Easterling beers (hey, this is
Asheville!), fun, music, a kids’ zone and much more. Of course the entire event will be green friendly and supportive of our community. “Throughout the year, Asheville Green Works engages the community in grassroots projects like tree planting, Dave Desmelik environmental cleanups, anti-litter and recycling events, creation and maintenance of green spaces, playground enhancement, neighborhood beautification and care and preservation of Asheville’s trees,” says Baker. Jay Ailan Whitham “This event is de-
BY JAMES
CASSARA
Lorraine Conard
signed to encourage giving back to the community as a whole, in hopes that the community will offer their support and patronage.”
IF YOU Tickets are a mere $25 if GO purchased in advance, or $30
day of the event. Tickets went on sale April 1 so act fast. For details visit www.greenswanfest.org or call (828) 299-4171.
WNC Jazz Profiles: Wendy Hayes Born in Steubenville, Ohio, Wendy Hayes has always loved music and singing.
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owever, being quite shy as a child, she would never sing front of anyone. Yet this shyness could not suppress her desire to communicate through music, and at age 12 she took up the flute. She could then express those ideas and thoughts for which she could not find words. Small wonder then that jazz, steeped in improvisation and deep personal expression, now provides an intriguing medium for her. Wendy attended Appalachian State University on a flute scholarship and it was there that shyness gave way to the deep desire to sing. During her sophomore year, she changed her major to Vocal Performance and her career was launched. In college, she focused primarily on opera and art song, winning competitions locally, statewide, and regionally. A two-time winner of ASU’s prestigious concerto-aria competition, Wendy also received 1st runner up in the NC NATSAA competition in 1998. After hours, she would sing standards wherever she could find a microphone and an audience. Wendy went on to complete her Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance, also at ASU, and
then joined the voice faculty for 8 years before embarking on a full time, professional singing/acting career. More than 15 years as a professional singer and Wendy Hayes actress has allowed Wendy to perform in regional theatres and club/cabaret venues from the Southeast to Tokyo. She’s appeared in leading roles on the stages of Flat Rock Playhouse, Florida Repertory Theatre, Little Theatre on the Square (Illinois), Blowing Rock Stage Company, Opera Carolina, Tokyo Disney, and on several cruise ships as production singer/dancer and headliner - to mention just a few. During that time Wendy wrote two one-woman shows. She received additional training at University of Louisville, The Institute of Vocal Performance Pedagogy with Richard Miller at Oberlin College, and through the Brevard Music Center Opera Program. In 2009, Wendy debuted “Everything is Rosie” (a tribute to her all-time favorite girl singer Rosemary Clooney), and in 2010 “Ladies and Gentlemen”, which celebrates such pioneers as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald. “I believe they’re all relevant today, as the ability to
10 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
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group, developed around bass, guitar, percussion, and his own sublime piano work. The resultant Adventures, the fourth full length effort by the band that bears his name, sounds like nothing else you’re likely to hear in 2012. The opening “Lighthouse” imagines Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” recast as a Mexican waltz while the upbeat “Into Giants” sounds a bit like a countrified version of Arcade Fire. The music is generally haunting, frequently unsettling and often feels like an awkward dream that might just be really happening. But it is also surprisingly affecting, never predictable, and in its own challenging fashion highly rewarding. In short it lives up to its name, a wild sonic adventure that feels right at home. This is one of those few records that largely defy description; I’d suggest sampling a few tracks from his website before deciding if Adventures in Your Own Backyard is for you. As for this reviewer, it is one of those quirky bits of sweetly discordant noise that I am more than delighted to have stumbled upon. ***
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interpret a lyric never goes out of style. To be moved by a lyric is one of the greatest experiences, and you’re talking about masters here.” Her debut album “I Remember You” was released December 24, 2010. Backed by a superb quartet featurPhoto: Frank Zipperer ing Andy Page (guitar), Zack Page (bass) and Rick Dilling (drums), plus special guest Jim Calabrese on tenor sax/clarinet, Wendy croons swing tunes and ballads from the Great American Songbook. The quartet is now working on a new as yet untitled CD, which is taking the group in a different direction. “It’s all about jazz and not just crooning. This time we’ll stretch out more and the approach will show more diversity.” explains Hayes. “We have everything from swing to funk to original music. It’s very exciting. I used to want to be like Rosemary Clooney who I love, but now I wish to be Chet Baker and Dee Dee Bridgewater’s love child - with a dash of Tierney Sutton for spice! I’m looking to chart new territory for myself” “Wendy is always pushing herself to expand her repertoire into more difficult material. She’s not afraid of a challenging piece of music and her pitch and
EDDIE LESHURE
vocal control is so precise, she’s able to tackle difficult material and nail it.” ~ Bassist Zack Page I asked Wendy how she chooses her material, “Picking songs is pretty easy for me. Does it move me in some way and do I think it’ll be a challenge musically and/or emotionally? If so, I’m in! I’ve recently discovered that I’ve outgrown some songs that no longer challenge me. This is probably why I now enjoy performing tunes of Monk, Silver, and the like...not that I’ve left ALL the standards behind! : )” “Wendy has the attributes of all the great jazz singers - great sense of rhythm, beautifully clear tone, amazing range - and she moves within many styles with ease and conveys the meaning of the lyrics with emotion and feeling!” ~ Drummer Rick Dilling www.wendyhayes.net
Share Eddie LeShure’s passion for jazz with Jazz Unlimited on MAIN FM each Wednesday 7-10 p.m., at 103.5 or MAIN-FM.org.
Reel Take Reviewers:
∑∑∑∑∑ - Fantastic ∑∑∑∑ - Pretty darn good ∑∑∑ - Has some good points ∑∑ - The previews lied ∑ - Only if you must M- Forget entirely
MICHELLE KEENAN is a long time student of film and a fundraiser for public radio. CHIP KAUFMANN is a film historian as well as a program host on WCQS-FM. Both are members of the Southeastern Film Critic's Association (SEFCA).
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.
Blue Like Jazz ∑∑∑1/2 Short Take: An indie faith-based comedy drama about a devout young man experiencing a crisis of faith, who puts his Christianity in the closet, while he attends a prestigious college.
REEL TAKE: A few weeks back I heard a
piece on NPR about a new niche in the film industry, faith-based films [in a Christian sense of course] and the expected financial impact from it. October Baby is a recent example of this growing market. What I didn’t anticipate was independent film crossover into that market. Blue Like Jazz is independent film (a la film festival circuit) but for a Christian audience. I confess, I watched Blue Like Jazz more out of obligation than
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
any kind of interest. If I hadn’t been reviewing it, I’d likely have passed on it regardless of an emerging film scene. While it is custom-made for young Christian discussion groups, I was very pleasantly surprised, and most who see it will be as well. Interestingly, certain types of God-fearing Christians may have more of issue with it than the rest of us. The film isn’t afraid to call a spade a spade, and well … some folks just won’t like that. Don (Marshall Allman) is a nerdy, squeaky clean nineteen year old bible thumper in Texas who getting ready to go to a local Christian college. His mother is a rather whiny woman, very reliant on her son and her church. His somewhat estranged father, is an academic who falls on the other end of the religious spectrum, lives in an airstream, and loves jazz. When Don discovers that his mother’s involvement in the church includes having an affair with the married youth minister, he suffers a crisis of faith and takes up his father’s offer to attend Reed College in Portland, Oregon instead. The first thing Don sees when he gets to campus is two bumper stickers. One reads ‘Abstinence Makes the Church Grow Fondlers’ and the other ‘I found Jesus. He’s drunk in my backseat.’ Eager to flee the hypocrisy of his old world, he meets an array of characters and very quickly heeds the advice stash his Christianity in the closet. He embraces activities he once considered shameful. He drinks, takes part in political protests, hangs out with a lesbian and an anti-religion character who parades as the Pope. At first the discoveries he makes by looking beyond his old beliefs are wonderful – a thoughtful world, people making a difference and creating positive change. As things progress, Don sees the cracks in his new life as well. Moreover he realizes that many who leave their faith behind, have been betrayed and hurt. Ultimately he must learn to reconcile his faith with his new world and free thinking attitude. Blue Like Jazz is not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but it is remark-
able as a faith-based film on a few levels. It is every bit an independent film, made by people who are seemingly filmmakers first, messengers second. The script, based on a memoir by Donald Miller is really quite good. While the film is perfect for a Christian discussion group, it is perfectly palatable for anyone who has ever had any kind of crisis of faith or questioned the hypocrisies that occur in every religion. It’s Christian in the truly good sense of the word, not in the bastardized, right-wing version of what Jesus wouldn’t do. In the end, it’s the most enjoyable faithbased film I’ve ever seen (not that the bar has been set too high). If this is an example of what’s going to come from this emerging market, it certainly won’t hurt.
Drew Goddard (Cloverfield) deliberately covers very familiar ground but with several clever and highly original twists. The principal twist is that every move of the protagonists is being watched by technicians in a secret underground laboratory and the choices the friends make will determine their fate. This central conceit allows Whedon and Goddard to throw in references from every modern horror film since the original Friday the 13th (1980) and this makes the movie a treasure trove for fans of the genre. Unfortunately I am not a big fan of modern horror films. It’s relentlessly clever and while I can appreciate the satirical approach that W & G are employing, I didn’t enjoy the film.
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexuality, drug and alcohol content, and some language.
REVIEW BY MICHELLE KEENAN
The Cabin in the Woods ∑∑∑∑ Short Take: Creative homage to just about every modern horror film trend you can think of is just a little too clever for its own good but it’s still a treat for most fans of the genre,
REEL TAKE: The history of The Cabin in
the Woods bears repeating. Made almost 3 years ago, the film sat on the shelf because the company that financed it went into bankruptcy. After lying around as financial collateral for an eventual settlement, it was picked up by Lionsgate who decided to hold it back until after the release of Hunger Games. This proved to be a smart move as it not only prevented the film from competing against a box office juggernaut but it allowed a similarity to the plot of Games help sell it to a larger audience. The movie’s tagline is as follows. “Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen. If you think you know this story, think again”. The plot from Josh Whedon (Buffy Buffy the Vampire Slayer Slayer) and
Jesse Williams and Kristen Connoly can’t believe what they are seeing in the critically acclaimed horror film The Cabin in the Woods.
The standard horror film archetypes are well cast. The good girl (Kristen Connoly), the bad girl (Anna Hutchison), the young stud (Chris Hemsworth), the sensitive, brainy young man (Jesse Williams), and the perpetually stoned comic relief (Fran Krantz) are all brought to life with a lot more acting than one usually finds in a film of this type. We actually care for them and so when “bad things happen” then we really feel bad for them. At least I did. The real delight for oldsters like me is seeing the always reliable Richard Jenkins along with Bradley Whitford thoroughly enjoying themselves as two of the technicians who are manipulating the goings on from the underground lab and then betting ‘Movies’ continued on page 12
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on the outcome. There’s even a special appearance from Sigourney Weaver at the end to tell us what it all means. Since she does then I won’t. The Cabin in the Woods deserves praise for doing something different with the horror genre. However it is one of those rare horror films that rates higher with critics than it does with audiences. Those outside the fan base who are tempted to see it because of the reviews or the cast might enjoy it, but they should check out the rating first. Rated R for bloody horror violence, gore, language, drug use, and nudity/sexuality.
REVIEW BY CHIP KAUFMANN
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen ∑∑∑∑ Short Take: A fisheries expert gets a lesson in life, love and politics when he is tasked with making a sheikh’s dream come true by bringing the sport of fly fishing to the desert.
Titanic ∑∑∑1/2 Most of you have heard of Titanic, if not seen it repeatedly. James Cameron’s blockbuster chronicles the Titanic’s tragic demise, when it hit an iceberg and sank in 1912, and also creates a fictional love story aboard the doomed ship. A young Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet portray Jack and Rose, two people from different worlds, as they fall in love and then fight to stay alive. Titanic was originally released in 1997 and became one of the biggest box office successes in history. Watching the film again fifteen years later, it’s not hard to guess why Titanic was so successful. Jack Dawson (Leonard DiCaprio) is a fairly irresistible character for the ladies to fall in love with, and there’s plenty of action and destruction in the second half of the film to satisfy the men. Throw in the fact that the movie’s a tearjerker, and it’s no wonder the film was a success.
Leonardo DiCaprio & Kate Winslet in the iconic “King of the World” sequence from Titanic.
In my opinion, Titanic remains a good movie, perhaps a little maudlin for my taste, but undeniably entertaining. Cameron’s attention to detail is astonishing, and Titanic truly takes you back to 1912. As for by Clara Sofia the 3D, Cameron didn’t
TEEN REVIEW
throw in annoying over the top effects; instead, the entire picture seems enhanced and beautiful, so the screen is a treat to look at. Even though the 3D was added later, it doesn’t seem substandard, and the rest of Titanic’s effects are still impressive today. If you liked Titanic the first time, you should go see it again in 3D. Titanic is a great movie to see on the big screen. However don’t forget that the film’s running time is 3 hours 15 minutes, and the story drags a little, so make sure you’re willing to sit still that long. I don’t recommend taking any children to Titanic, the scenes of the ship sinking are sometimes disturbing, and Jack and Rose’s romance includes some adult details. Rated PG-13 for violence, nudity, sensuality, and brief language.
REEL TAKE: When it’s time to spawn,
salmon perform the challenging feat of swimming upstream to do procreate. When mild mannered British fisheries expert Dr. Fred Jones (Ewan McGregor) receives a proposal from investment consultant, Harriet Chetwode-Talbot, (Emily Blunt) on behalf of a sheikh (Amr Waked) to bring salmon fishing to the Yemen, he finds the idea ludicrous and politely declines. However, when the Prime Minster’s press secretary (Kristin Scott Thomas) gets wind of the idea, she seizes the opportunity for a good will story, makes it a matter of state, and there is no turning back. The result is an upstream journey to make the impossible possible. Fred is the central figure and the narrative voice. At the start of the story our hero is mired in a complacent marriage. Harriet is in a burgeoning relationship with a young soldier. He is entirely against the project and they bicker a lot (rom com foreplay of course). Harriet is the investment consultant for the sheikh Mohammed. When she takes Fred to meet the sheikh at his Scottish estate (where he developed his penchant for fly fishing), things begin to shift. As they bond over the love of fly fishing, Fred is charmed by the sheikh and won over by his faith in life and his belief in the impossible. As the threesome work together friendships are foreged and it seems nothing will get in the way of making the sheik’s dream come true. That is nothing except maybe civil unrest, terrorism and a war. There is an underbelly to Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,, and while it is played out for the most part in political sattire, it is ever present and serves as a sad but true political commentary. It’s an odd but fitting
cal backdrop that is anything but. My impression is that the Hallstrom/ Beaufoy team did a good job distilling what is probably a funny but very layered story to the big screen - a task many filmmakers could not have accomplished nearly so well. Ewan McGregor gives one of us his best performances in years (see another one of his top performances in my DVD pick for the month). Emily Blunt is perfect as Harriet, and she and McGregor play well off of one another. Amr Waked is lovely as the philosophical, fly fishAmr Waked is a sheik who wants to bring fly fishing to the desert and Ewan McGregor is the fisheries expert ing sheikh. But the scene stealer in tasked to help him in Salmon Fising in the Yemen. this film is Kristin Scott Thomas. She plays the brash, over zealous tone (considering what our characters are press secretary with wicked abandon and is a trying to accomplish), It’s a tone that I didn’t horrid hoot to watch. At press time Salmon initially think they pulled off, but as I’ve had Fishing in the Yemen was playing at the time to digest the film, it has become less of Fine Arts Theatre. See it while you can. It’s an intrusion and more a part of the landa delightlful diversion for a couple of hours, scape of the film. especially during the post-award, pre-sumSalmon Fishing in the Yemen is dimer drought at the cinema. rected by Lasse Halstrom (My My Life as a Dog Dog) Rated PG-13 for some violence, sexual content and adapted from Paul Torday’s acclaimed and language. novel by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire). Not having any knowledge of the REVIEW BY MICHELLE KEENAN novel prior to this film (it is now on my ‘books to read’ list), I don’t know who to Wrath of the Titans ∑∑∑1/2 credit with the balance of clever dialogue, Short Take: Sequel to the remake comedic timing and social sattire. of Clash of the Titans is a better film There is a little messiness with the than its predecessor with fine genre inclusion of several subplots. Some work, performances from a bevy of Britain’s some don’t, but the over all result is a top character actors but the last half thoughtful story whose three main charachour drags. ters are utterly charming, in spite of a politi-
12 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
REEL TAKE: It only took about 15 minutes
for me to realize that Wrath of the Titans was one of those sequels that is superior to the film that spawned it and in turn is much closer in spirit to Ray Harryhausen’s 1981 original than the remake. In fact it more closely resembles Jason & the Argonauts (1963) which was a much better film than the original Clash. The movie takes place several years after Perseus (Sam Worthington) has defeated the Kraken and gone off to be a fisherman and raise a family. Internal strife between Zeus (Liam Neeson) and his brothers Ares (Edgar Ramirez) and Hades (Ralph Fiennes) results in a war between the Gods with Zeus being held prisoner in the Underworld. Ares and Hades plan to siphon off Zeus’ life force in order to free the Titan Cronos (their father) which will mean the end of the world. Why would they want to bring about the end of the world? Well it seems that people have stopped praying to the Gods and they are dying anyway so, fickle humanity, take that! Attempting to put up a last line of defense which is the equivalent of a suicide mission are the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike) and her soldiers. At first Perseus wants nothing to do with any of it until his son Helius is threatened and then he reluctantly joins forces with another demigod Agenor (Toby Kebell). Along with Andromeda they set out to free Zeus from the prison of Tartarus. In order to get in they are aided by Poseidon (Danny Huston) who dies in the process ‘Movies’ continued on page 13
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film reviews 5th Annual Music Video Asheville
J
A SHOWCASE TO HIGHLIGHT THE PAIRING OF ASHEVILLE MUSICIANS & FILMMAKERS
oin Asheville’s music and film elite on the red carpet for the 5th anniversary celebration of Music Video Asheville (MVA) on Wednesday, May 9 at the Cinebarre. Watch music videos by Asheville’s premier musicians and filmmakers on the big screen as they vie for the $500 cash prize and studio time at Echo Mountain. Donned in your Grammy-style attire (with an Asheville flare) you can sip champagne and pose for the paparazzi on the red carpet until seating starts at 7:15 p.m. Don’t miss this all-star event and your chance to vote for your favorite Asheville music video!
‘Movies’ continued from page 12
Perseus (Sam Worthington) prepares to do battle with yet another obstacle in the engaging sequel Wrath of the Titans.
and by Hephaestus (Bill Nighy) who designed the prison. Along the way they battle a two headed fire breathing monster and a pair of Cyclopes. Once inside they have to defeat the Minotaur and get through the Labyrinth without the help of Hephaestus who must stay behind. Then the real trouble starts when Perseus must do battle with Ares and Hades in order to reach Zeus. Of course they manage to reach him in the nick of time but not before Cronos is freed and is about to bring oblivion to the world. Up until this point I was prepared to give the film 4 stars but the last half hour of the film descends into the sort of large scale battle sequence so beloved of today’s fantasy filmmakers where multiple CGI “synthespians’ can be featured and then get dispatched. In this case Cronos, a giant elemental force, does the dispatching and he is the only titular figure in the film so the movie should really be called Wrath of the TITAN. So much for truth in advertising. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of fantasy violence and action.
REVIEW BY CHIP KAUFMANN
For those wishing to arrive in style and depart responsibly, board the New Belgium Brewing VIP Party Bus, which picks up and drops off at One Stop Deli and Bar, the location of the Official After Party with DJ Molly Parti. The After Party is $5, or included with VIP ticket purchase. VIP tickets are $30 and include pick-up and drop off at Cinebarre, champagne and New Belgium beer on the bus, red carpet drop off
Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: “Titanic”
in a classic car, VIP seating, and admission to after party. Only 30 VIP tickets are available. They can be purchased online, at the One Stop, or at Harvest Records. Stay tuned to MVA’s Red Carpet Sponsor, 98.1 the River, for announcements and a VIP ticket giveaway. We will also be making announcements about the who’s who of entries, as well as information about the guest speakers and the judging panel. Tickets can be purchased at the Cinebarre, Harvest Records, and Orbitz DVD in West Asheville; at the One Stop and the Honeypot downtown. General admission is $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Purchase
May DVD Picks
Titanic (1953) With all the fanfare surrounding the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and the release in 3-D of James Cameron’s 1997 film (see Clara Sofia’s Teen Review), it’s a perfect time to revisit Hollywood’s first version of the story, 1953’s Titanic starring Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck. Like the James Cameron movie, it focuses on the fictional story of a pair of lovers (in this case a husband and wife) but unlike Cameron’s film, it is far less concerned with the sinking of the ship. Screenwriter and co-producer Charles Brackett is much more interested in the human drama taking place. In fact the Titanic is purely incidental. The film could just as easily have been called Lusitania or Empress of Ireland or any other ill-fated ship of the tine. Since Brackett was one of the great screenwriters of the Golden Age of Hollywood (frequently collaborating with Billy Wilder on such diverse films as The Major and the Minor and Sunset Boulevard), this Titanic is full of the kind levard of memorable dialogue that you often encounter in movies of that era and sadly not in real life. In addition to Webb and Stanwyck, the film features an outstanding supporting cast including Thelma Ritter (as Molly Brown although for legal reasons she’s not called that), Brian Aherne (as Captain Smith), Richard Basehart, and a very young but incredibly handsome Robert Wagner. If you watch this Titanic for the special effects, than you’ll certainly be disappointed. The sinking of the ship, impressive for 1953, can’t compete with the 1997 version nor should it have to. The interior and exterior settings
are very theatrical in nature because the filmmakers are more concerned with the characters than with accuracy of detail. And (horrors!) it’s in black and white. For those of you who enjoy old movies, like choice dialogue, and want to see a different take on the famous tragedy, then this version of the Titanic story will be more than worth your while. 20th Century Fox’s DVD transfer of the film is flawless.
Big Fish (2003) After watching Ewan McGregor in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,, I was struck by how much I’ve enjoyed watching him throughout his career. Now in his early 40’s, his work has run the gamut from blockbusters to little independent, from rather hapless, charming characters, to the iconic Obi-wan Kenobi. The characters I most enjoy seeing him play always have a wee bit of magic in them, or a belief therein. Take the ever affable character of Ed Bloom in Tim Burton’s fanciful tall tale, Big Fish.. McGregor played Bloom as a younger man and Albert Finney played Bloom as an older man. (The combination of the two in the role was automatic win for me from the get go) Big Fish is a movie that people tend to love or hate. I can only attribute this to
VIP tickets at www.brownpapertickets. com/event/241264. Advance tickets are recommended due to sell out and limited space. For more details visit www.musicvideoasheville.com. IF YOU Music Video Asheville, takes place GO Wednesday, May 9. Doors open at
6 p.m. for the Networking Party. Seating at 7:15 p.m. Awards and crowd vote at 9:30 p.m. Cinebarre, behind Biltmore Square Mall, 800 Brevard Road, Asheville, NC. (828) 665-8661, www.cinebarre.com.
Michelle Keenan’s Pick: “Big Fish” the Tim Burton influence, and the fact that his style is not everyone’s cup of tea. Ironically, I considered Big Fish to be quite a departure for Burton. Big Fish tells the story of a man who has lived a mythic life. At its heart, it’s a father-son story. Ed Bloom is a vivacious old man with penchant for telling fantastic stories about his youthful exploits. Over time, his tall tales have alienated him from his son William (Billy Crudup). While his father is the epitome of joie de vivre, William is not. When told that his father doesn’t have long to live, William returns home to Alabama to attempt to separate fact from fiction and find out who his father really is. In doing so, the story jumps between modern day and the embellished tales from Edward’s days as a young man. They play out like a parade at carnival freak show. He wrestles a giant fish, befriends a giant, a witch, a poet, Siamese twin, survives the Korean War, becomes the toast of an oddly idyllic town called Spectre, and last but not lease wins the heart of the woman he loves. In the end myth and reality collide; Edward’s tall tales are his truth. McGregor and Finney are perfect as the elder and younger Bloom. Both play the part with a huge appetite and passion for life and love. Both bring a special sparkle (and those winning grins), a blind faith of sorts and belief in the unbelievable to the part. Supporting cast members including Jessica Lange, Steve Buscemi and Allison Lohman add to the ensemble. Bottom line Big Fish is a surprisingly corny tall tale that tickles the imagination and tugs on the heartstrings, the likes of which only Tim Burton could do.
Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 13
Asheville Film Society Screenings Films are shown on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge at the Carolina Cinema on Hendersonville Road. Screenings are free. May 1:
Hannah & Her Sisters
(1986) DIR: Woody Allen – One of Allen’s best remembered films about 3 sisters and the men in their lives. May 8:
Ed Wood
(1994) DIR: Tim Burton – Johnny Depp stars as the legendary director of really bad movies. May 15:
Sullivan’s Travels
(1941) DIR: Preston Sturges – Celebrated Hollywood comedy about a director who goes on the road to see what real life is like. May 22:
O Brother Where Art Thou?
(2000) DIR: Joel & Ethan Coen – Homer’s The Odyssey set in Depression Era America with George Clooney in one of his best roles. May 29:
Mississippi
(1935) DIR: A. Edward Sutherland – Travel the mighty Mississippi River with Bing Crosby and riverboat captain W.C. Fields. Songs by Rodgers & Hart.
Carolina Cinemas is located at 1640 Hendersonville Rd. (828) 274-9500. For more information go to www.ashevillefilm.org
Hendersonville Film Society Films are shown every Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas) in Hendersonville. May 6:
Lady Jane Grey
(1986) DIR: Trevor Nunn – Story of England’s 16th century Queen who ruled for nine days between Edward VI and Bloody Mary. Saturday, May 12:
An Evening with Charlie Chaplin Special outdoor showing of three Chaplin shorts in front of the historic Henderson County Courthouse. Pre-show at 7 p.m. May 20:
The Madness of King George (1994) DIR: Nicholas Hynter – Moving biopic of King George III who lost the American colonies and eventually his mind. May 27:
The Young Victoria
(2009) DIR: Jean-Marc Valee – A film on how Queen Victoria first met Prince Albert and the love that blossomed between them.
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film reviews
Sounds of Silence
SILENT CINEMA IN THE SOUND ERA: PART 2 This is the second part of an article focused on silent movies which were made after the advent of sound. These are films that were made outside of America.
BY
CHIP KAUFMANN
Silent movies can be seen as contemporary cinematic art forms, not just relics from the past.
Lee, Peter Greenaway, One of several dance sequences and Arthur Penn tried Nearly 60 years before The Artshowcased in Le Bal. their hand at it and the ist, French director Jacques Tati made results are both fascinata pair of virtually silent, Chaplinesque ing and/or maddening. style comedies featuring his character Two years later Monsieur Hulot, They were M. Hulot’s Russian director AlexHoliday (1953), and Mon Oncle (1958). ander Balbanov adopted The latter won the Oscar that year for silent film techniques Best Foreign Film. When Tati came (sepia tinted film to America to receive the award, he stock, variable shooting visited Stan Laurel, Buster Keaton and speeds, an appropriate Mack Sennett. Keaton said that Tati was A father and daughter shortly before tragedy strikes in music score) to create “carrying on the true tradition of silent Of Freaks and Men. an unforgettable film cinema.” However no one would follow portrait of St. Petersin Tati’s footsteps until 1981. burg at the dawn of That year an Italian director (Ettore cinema. Scola) made a film in France that traced Of Freaks and Men the 90 year history of a Parisian dance hall tells a multi-character using only period music and dances from story involving singragtime to disco. The movie was Le Bal One of the many sensual ing Siamese twins, a (The Ball) and it was a surprise hit in Euimages that permeate Aria. pornographer who rope while garnering good reviews here. Denis Lavant as the Buster switches from photoSix years later Scottish producer Keaton-like character in Tuvalu. graphs to movies, and Don Boyd conceived of an elaborate film two wellwhere 10 celebrated actor sent into a downward spiral by the to-do women who are forever directors (Robert arrival of sound, surprised everyone by changed by meeting them. Altman, Ken Russell, winning several top Oscars and doing Once seen its images cannot Jean-Luc Godard to good box office. It has also introduced be forgotten but it is definame a few) would a new generation (generations actually) nitely not for everyone. each make a short to the techniques used in silent movies The turn of the 21st film with an opera and proved their viability as a contemcentury brought about two aria being the only porary cinematic art form not just a salutes to silent comedy from accompaniment. The relic from the past. two very different parts of 1987 film Aria was For the moment, interest in silent the world. In 2000 an East fascinating though films has never been higher although European film called Tuvalu mixed but it opened they had never really gone away. Whenup the possibilities of Celebrating new found wealth features a Buster Keaton like ever you watch a music video or view character trying to save a what a modern silent in the Brazilian comedy any film without spoken dialogue, you decrepit bathhouse from a film could do. Margarette's Feast. are watching or have been watching a greedy developer. The real catalyst “silent movie”. Imagine a Keaton comwas the 1996 docuAll of the films profiled above are edy with the look of David mentary Lumiere & currently available (or soon will be) on Lynch’s Eraserhead and you’ll Company which was DVD. They are available for purchase have some idea of what to intended to celebrate or for rental from online retailers and/or expect. It’s bizarre but light the 100th anniversary locally owned video stores such as Rosehearted. of the development bud or Orbit DVD. Over in South America, of the first practical If you enjoyed or were intrigued by Margarette’s Feast (2003) a movie camera. Several The Artist, then you should definitely Brazilian film about a poor celebrated directors, 40 check out these and other, older silent man’s dilemma of what to to be exact, were asked films. An excellent way to get started todo with a suitcase full of to take part by using ward an appreciation of silent films is to money he has stumbled an original Lumiere watch Silent Sunday Nights on Turner upon, deliberately recalls the Brothers camera. The Classic Movies every Sunday night startChaplin films City Lights catch is that they only ing at Midnight. Just use the recording and Modern Times. This have one minute of device of your choice so you can watch brings us to The Artist. film to work worth. Jacques Tati as the it at your leisure. This 2011 French Such luminaries beloved title character in comedy about a silent film as David Lynch, Spike M. Hulot's Holiday.
14 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
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noteworthy INTERVIEW WITH
INTERVIEWED BY
Thomas Oder and Russell Woods
I
Rapid River Magazine’s New Cartoonists from Adawehi Institute and Healing Center
n February, Ratchet & Spin by T. Oder and R. Woods, became the fifth comic strip in our What to Do Guide. Thomas and Russell were interviewed at the intentional community, Adawehi (www.adawehi. com), where they live in Columbus, NC. They produce a weekly edition of Ratchet & Spin in a newsletter published by www.jackiewoods.org, focusing on health and healing of mind, body, emotions, and spirit.
RRM: Why did you
select a comic strip over other art forms?
RW: We’ve both been
Russell Woods
RRM: What has been
Rapid River Magazine:
What is your inspiration for Ratchet & Spin?
Russell Woods: The idea
in various art fields our whole lives. I’m a guitarist, and I was already a writer… TO: And I was already an artist. I have a degree in graphic arts; I like to play music, too. So it was a pretty easy leap into doing a comic strip together. The idea of a comic strip just seemed like the best way to get our point across.
Thomas Oder
for the strip started because we wanted to clarify some of the metaphysical terms and concepts we use on our website, www.jackiewoods. org, and in our many personal growth resources. We chose animal characters because we felt it would be easier to tell funny stories about “bad” habits without people personalizing it. We all have unproductive behavior patterns, but it’s funny when a raccoon does those same things.
RRM: How did you select Ratchet and Spin as your two main characters?
Thomas Oder: I de-
veloped the Ratchet character because there was a raccoon that was getting into the trash cans at my house at that time—the “Houdini of Raccoons”! And, since Ratchet was going to be greedy and clever, we felt we needed a foil for him… Russell Woods: Yes, someone who was kind of the opposite—compassionate, but spacey and emotional. This would set up sort of an “Odd Couple” dynamic that we thought could be very funny. So I came up with Spin. He was named after a major league pitching coach (I’m a huge baseball fan), but the name also implies that his head gets thrown into a “spin” by anything too stressful. A squirrel seemed like the logical animal to fit that description.
the most challenging for you both to learn as cartoonists?
RW: From both writing and drawing aspects, Efficiency was the hardest thing for us to learn. Getting the timing down so that you can tell a visual story, get a concept across in words, and make someone laugh in the space of three or four panels takes a lot of hard work. RRM: What cartoonists have you admired?
TO: Russell and I have read cartoons
our whole lives. As kids we read and collected Peanuts by Charles Schultz and Bloom County by Berkeley Breathed. RW: We also both subscribed to Mad Magazine. Later, we got into Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Waterson and Fox Trot by Bill Amend. Our kids are fans of both of those strips now, too.
RRM: How do you get into the mood or frame of mind to write and draw?
TO: The most important part of our
creative process is the bi-weekly “brainstorming” meeting we have together. We talk about story ideas for the next few strips, but most importantly, we just sort of talk about the characters and get to know them better. We laugh a lot in those meetings! RW: Both of us then work separately over the next couple of weeks; but when we sit down to write or draw, we both have to think back to that
DENNIS RAY
previous meeting and get back in touch with that “Humor Synergy” we created together. Then we email stuff back and forth.
RRM: What is most satisfying to you when you have completed work on a strip?
TO: For me, the most satisfying thing is
when the strip first shows up in public—either on the website or in a publication. Since the strip comes out every week on our website, we have to stay far ahead in the number of episodes that we have created; so by the time a strip is published, viewing it ourselves is much like seeing it for the first time. RW: I love the first read-through when the words and pictures come together...if it makes you snicker when you see it together for the first time, you know you’ve got something.
RRM: How many approaches to Ratchet & Spin did you scrap before settling on what you have now?
TO: Honestly, it just fell into place the first
time...we didn’t try any other characters or settings. But you have to understand that we have been close friends for over 14 years. RW: We’ve played in a band together, had countless family picnics, and shared in tons of yard work here in the intentional community where we both live...we each know how the other one thinks.
RRM: How much time do you spend cartooning?
RW: Aside from that face-to-face meeting
we have every two weeks (which takes an hour or so), we each work separately on one or two strips per week and each strip takes about 40 minutes to an hour. Coming up with the ideas is the big thing, though, and that’s pretty much something that we are doing every waking moment. It’s kind of just how we look at the world.
RRM: Do you have any advice for budding cartoonists among us?
TO: Know your backstory! Like we said,
we talk about the characters in the strip at every meeting and we toss around what has happened in their past and how they react because of that. For instance, we’ve decided that Ratchet is the middle child of a bunch of brothers. Will that ever be specifically mentioned in the strip? Maybe not, but it informs how we think about him. Consequently, neither of us ever suggests something out of character for him to do or say, because we are in agreement on where he is coming from. RW: We’ve concocted a whole world for each of our characters that you may never ‘T. Oder, R. Woods’ continued on page 27
Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 15
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fine art Gung-ho For Art! MUSINGS ON ART COMMUNITIES FROM THE SCI-FI LOVING SHUT-IN
P. P.H P.H. H Best
Appalachia in Oils Commissions Accepted
Summer Prelude
River of Clouds
Original Oil Paintings • Giclee Prints and Note Cards
www.mountainbrushworks.com • 828-734-9304 WNC’s Only Professional School for Stage and Screen 27 Different Classes and Workshops • • • • • • • •
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Audition Preparation Script Analysis Improv for Performance Movement for Actors Alexander Technique The Artist’s Way Intro to Design Acting for Film
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(917) 710-2805
16 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
A
lthough I did BY GREG VINEYARD spend quite some time on Facewas always on my To book recently Do List. I liked seeing reading peoples’ real environments, with 75th birthday wishes work-in-progress right to Star Trek’s George there on the table. And I Takei, which does always found great gifts pretty much niche me - for others, and for me. into a particular level of (Still do!) quasi-fanatic, I don’t love Interestingly, JUST science fiction. “gung-ho,” a term I used As you know, I also love in this column’s headart. And in our region, I line, is an adaptation particularly love handfrom Chinese words made art, craft, and how that roughly translate accessible it all is. to “work together.” I’ve met many folks Over time, the phrase in the past few years as has taken on a highly they stroll through ConHit the road and find great art! enthusiastic tone, and I stance Williams Gallery think both feelings apply in the River Arts District in my use of it here. who exclaim that they are Those Who Shop These communiterrible artists, but great deserve a medal. ties of artists who band art appreciators. And together and host open they are the ones who A locally-made, studios for the public actually make our world hand-crafted medal, are absolutely working go ‘round, aren’t they? of course. together to make it all Without this particular flow, and they LOVE segment of the populawhat they do, which tion scampering to and really does come across to visitors. fro throughout Western North Carolina So, you may also be wondering, “What with maps and shopping lists firmly in do I need for my art trek?” I recommend: 1) hand, we’d all have inventory piled up to the MAPS! And if you’re like me, you need 2) rafters! Those Who Shop deserve a medal. A A Navigator! Take friends, and make sure at locally-made, hand-crafted medal, of course. least one of them has a good sense of direcThere are many studio tours in our tion; 3) Water and snacks. You know how area, and Rapid River always pays particular field trips are - you can end up out past dinattention, printing information and maps. nertime; 4) Cash. Add wonderful memories Like farmer’s markets, these events are popto a rewarding day with that little something ular, and provide an excellent opportunity to that is just right for yourself or as a gift. be a major part of our economy by buying Whether you are one who creates, or local. And for artists looking for a place to one who supports their efforts, I hope you settle-in and create, these tours are also an are able to check out this year’s studio tours, ideal way to check out a particular area and both near and far, and continue the amazing meet one’s potential new cohorts. energy exchange we have here between artIf you’ve never been on a studio tour, ists and art appreciators. See you on the road you may be wondering, “What is SO and in the studio! intriguing about these things that make people come for miles around?” Some folks even plan their vacations around art-buying, with the Asheville area pegged as one Greg Vineyard is an artist, of THE major places on their itinerary due writer and art consultant to the volume of high-quality creations living in Asheville. Find available here. his ceramics at Constance I think it’s that “Field of Dreams” sceWilliams Gallery in the nario, where they saw us build it, and they River Arts District and came. Any given group’s compulsion to folGallery 262 in Waynesville, low their passions and fling open the doors and his illustrations at attracts the same type of energy. Before I ZaPOW! Gallery in downtown Asheville. lived here, visiting the River Arts District www.creativewayfinding.byregion.net
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spring studio tours INTERVIEW WITH
Steven Forbes-deSoule
INTERVIEWED BY
DENNIS RAY
O
ver the years, ceramic artist Steven Forbes-deSoule has had his work featured in a variety of group and solo exhibitions. His ceramics are also part of numerous corporate, private and museum collections throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan. He’s been featured in publications, such as Ceramics Monthly magazine (May, 1985), and books such as Ceramics Spectrum, second edition; Clay and Glazes for the Potter Potter, third edition; and Throwing on the Potter’s Wheel by Don Davis. He is also featured in 100 Southern Artists, to be released in 2012.
Rapid River Magazine: Tell us a little
about Raku Pottery and why you chose this medium.
Steven Forbes-deSoule: American or West-
ern raku is a unique method of firing, where the hot ware is removed from a small kiln, once it reaches 1800 – 2000 degrees F. The hot pottery is then placed in a metal container with combustible materials, such as newspaper. The resulting fire is then smothered by placing the lid on the container.
Raku pottery by Steven Forbes-deSoule. Photo: Erica Mueller
This action creates a reduction atmosphere (reduced oxygen), which affects the glazes and clay body. Once the ware cools (in about an hour) the metal container is opened. The results are always different and serendipitous. This serendipity is what attracted me to raku.
RRM: What drove you to become an artist? SF: When I was in my 20s, I had two short-
lived corporate careers. I found working for a corporation to be unfulfilling (to put it mildly). Consequently, I returned to college and just happened to take a pottery course. I loved it and five years later I received my Masters of Visual Arts degree in Ceramics from Georgia State University in Atlanta and the rest is history.
Steven Forbes-deSoule, ceramic artist. Photo: Erica Mueller
RRM: How did you get started? Tell us about your journey in this art form.
SF: After receiving my MVA, I set up a
studio in my home in Atlanta. I worked in the studio, creating work during the day and at night worked as a waiter to supplement my income. After about two years of this double duty, I made a commitment (in my head and heart) to quit my night job and be a fulltime artist. This is also the time when I committed to the raku process. Within a couple of months, I had replaced my waiting income, selling my raku wares. It was also about this time that my wife, Lynn and I learned of the intentional community where we now live outside of Weaverville. We built our home there in 1992. This is where my studio is now located.
RRM: What are your favorite pieces? SF: The next one I make. I say this because
The Fine Arts League of the Carolinas
I love to change, which is most often achieved through developing new glazes. This is something I started doing about 15 years ago. By developing my own glaze recipes, I’m able to create work that is uniquely mine.
A Classical Art School Teaching Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, & Fresco
Summer 2012 Master/Apprentice 5-Week Intensive Summer Session • July 9 - August 10 Full-Time $1800 Part-Time $1000
RRM: The red coloring in your works has a
warmth to it, as it balances with the kohiki (white glaze) extremely well. A lot of artists complain about working with the color red. What do you find to be the hardest part of getting the colors you want to work? ‘Forbes-deSoule’ continued on page 19
Register by May 11 to receive a 5% discount on tuition. Full and Part Time. Open Registration Deadline: June 29, 2012 PG.
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362 Depot Street • Asheville’s River Arts District www.fineartsleague.org 828.252.5050
Committed to teaching the realist traditions of the old masters.
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Tradition. Vision. Innovation.
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Allanstand Craft Shop
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at the Folk Art Center MP 382 Blue Ridge Parkway Asheville, NC Open Daily 9am-6pm 828-298-7928
Featuring Jewelry by Molly Dingledine
For more fine crafts visit:
Guild Crafts
930 Tunnel Road/Hwy 70 Asheville, NC Open Mon.-Sat: 10am-6pm 828-298-7903
www.CRAfTGuIlD.ORG
The Southern Highland Craft Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
pring is a season of boundless beauty in Western North Carolina as Mother Nature reasserts her creative energy. Roaming the scenic back roads of the East of Asheville Studio Tour is the perfect way to celebrate the natural beauty of our region while enjoying a delightful treasure hunt. For two days, Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6, the artists of WNC will welcome you into their studios. With the brochure and bright E-A-S-T road signs as your guide, you can customize your journey of discovery through the diverse fine art & craft studios and boundless creative energy of our region’s professional artists. Many of the most popular previous studios are returning with deliciously fresh new works to see and the tour is proud of the addition of nine new studios. You are invited to join the artists of Eastern Buncombe County, NC in Black Mountain, Swannanoa, Bee Tree, Haw Creek, Fairview Pressure Gauge by and Old Fort in Alan Kaufman.
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Ceramic sculpture by Blue Fire MacMahon.
their studios as they display and demonstrate an amazing array of traditional, folk and experimental art including fine paintings of every genre and style, photography, ceramics, handmade flutes, fiber arts, and works in wood and glass. The Spring East of Asheville Studio Tour is just in time to find the perfect gifts for upcoming Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations and weddings – and of course, the irresistable luxury that you deserve. Brochures will be available in businesses and libraries throughout Buncombe and McDowell Counties.
Painting by Anne Bevan.
Maud Boleman ceramic. Maud Boleman of Black Mountain Studio is the founder of the East of Asheville Studio Tour.
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about the artists and to download a brochure go to the E-A-S-T website at www. EastStudioTour.com. 18 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
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RRM: A lot of artists say living in the mountains of WNC fuels their creativity. What inspires your work the most?
SF: I’m inspired every day by the beautiful landscape, colors and textures I see right outside my studio. So, yes this absolutely fuels my creativity.
Steven Forbes-deSoule, who will be participating in the Weaverville Art Safari, is a member of Ariel Gallery.
Steven Forbes-deSoule 143 David Biddle Trail Weaverville, NC 28787 (828) 645-9065 www.stevenforbesdesoule.com
The Weaverville Art Safari is an event staged twice each year – the second full weekend in May and the last full weekend in October – by a group of Western North Carolina artists whose studios are located in and around the communities of Weaverville and Barnardsville, NC. The first Weaverville Art Safari was organized in the spring of 2001 with the goal of attracting visitors to this vibrant art community on the northern outskirts of Asheville, NC. Since then thousands of people have returned over and over each spring and fall to enjoy the shopping opportunities and the ambience. Local B&Bs do a brisk business.
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white glaze and not much red. Personally, I love red, but it is a hard color to achieve in pottery without using cadmium or selenium, which are very toxic. Copper red is sometimes achieved in raku, but is mostly limited to stoneware or porcelain firing temperatures.
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SF: Not sure about this one. I use very little
ABOUT THE WEAVERVILLE ART SAFARI
DON’T FORGET
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ith a thriving career as a nationally known metal smith and an exciting past as an international commercial model, Weaverville artist Suzanne Q Evon could live anywhere in the world. But when it came time to find the perfect spot for her home and studio, the decision was simple. “I looked all over the country, and decided on Asheville,” says Suzanne, or Q, as she’s known. “I ended up in Weaverville by accident, but this is where I want to be. The sense of community for me as an artist is something I’ve not experienced anywhere else.” Inspired by the peace and quiet that comes along with living in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Q finds her location brings out the best in her as an artist and jeweler. “This is where I do my best work,” says Q. “I open the windows in my studio, and let nature provide the soundtrack. It allows me to focus without distraction, which is essential to me as an artist.” While Western North Carolina’s charms hooked Q from the start, the thriving and supportive artist community that resides in Weaverville was an added bonus. Now Q is an avid participant and supporter of the Weaverville Art Safari. The free
Susan Webb Lee
BY
STEVEN FORBES-DESOULE
John Ransmeier
semi-annual event offers tours in May and October, and Q is proud to be a part of the community production. “The Weaverville Art Safari is one of the best studio tours I’ve seen in the country,” says Q. “It truly is a great group of artists, which is a part of what makes the Safari so outstanding.” Q and 40 other Weaverville artists opens their studio doors on Saturday and Sunday, May 12-13, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Now in its eleventh year, the event allows guests to talk one-on-one with the artists, tour the studios, and learn about the techniques that go into each individual creation. Works of art showcased include pottery, handmade glass, sculpture, jewelry, furniture, paintings, drawings, and fiber art. Some artists offer live demonstrations, while others provide the chance to win a piece from their collections. A special preview party at Reems Creek Golf Club on Friday, May 11, kicks off the event. The fun starts at 7 p.m. and includes old-time fiddle music, door prizes, heavy hors d’oeuvres, desserts and a cash bar. The highlight of the evening is a silent auction featuring art works donated by each participating artist. Event tickets are only $10 at the door, with additional door prize tickets available for $5 each. All event proceeds fund future Weaverville Art Safari events.
IF YOU Weaverville Art Safari brochures GO containing maps and artist
Joy Moser
information are available at greater Asheville-area galleries, restaurants and shops. A downloadable brochure is also available at www.weavervilleartsafari.com. Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 21
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his year’s Kenilworth Art Studio Tour promises to delight serious art buyers as well as families enjoying a holiday outing. The free, self-guided tour will be held Saturday, May 26, and Sunday, May 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Since its inception in 2008, the Kenilworth Artists Association tours have brought thousands of art lovers to the historic neighborhood located just five minutes southeast of downtown Asheville. This year, twenty-two artists will exhibit their artwork at eleven locations throughout the neighborhood. The Tour includes artists working in a wide range of media, including five painters offering works in oil, watercolor and acrylic. Other media featured are jewelry, pottery, ceramic tile, glass beads, furniture, mixed- media, photography, paper, turned wooden bowls, wooden flutes, and collage. Artists’ ages range from 14 to 92. This year’s Tour features four artist husband-and-wife couples, including two of which collaborate with each other to create their art. Edward Bent, also known as Red Ute, was born on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation of Colorado. His interest in flutes began at age 7 or 8 when he was drawn to the captivating sound of the instruments that were being made by the Elders in his tribe. Now 92, he divides his time between making flutes and getting kidney dialysis treatments several times each
Frozen in Time by Miller Moore
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Batton Clayworks
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PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Melon, Oysters, Lobster and Fruit by Mary Webster.
Flute by Edward Bent.
week. He courted now-wife Diane Box in 1990, who still remembers the first time Red Ute played the flute for her at a celebration at Ute Park in Ignacio, Colorado. “All of the folding chairs had been taken away except the one I was sitting on. Red Ute came over and played his flute just for me. A Ute woman walked by and remarked, ‘Eddie is trying to get himself a wife!’” It worked, and now Diane’s elaborate Plains Indian-style beadwork is often included on Edward’s flutes. Ann and Sandy Batton are another husband-and-wife team, operating a busy pottery business out of their home while raising two small children. Being lovers of nature, the Battons produce forms that are based on the organic shapes that surround them. Customers, friends and art lovers alike frequently comment on the “Dr. Seuss” or “Alice in Wonderland” aspect of their work. When asked, they say that it was not intentional, but they do live their lives with a sense of spontaneity and whimsy. Other neighborhood artist couples are Diana Gillispie [ceramic tiles] and Michael Robinson [oil paintings] at Asheville Tileworks, and Kathie [pottery] and Robert Kline [turned wooden bowls] at Centerpoint Studios. Each year, the Kenilworth Art Studio Tour is planned by participating artists and sponsored by local businesses. For the first time, three visiting artists have been invited to share studio exhibition space with Kenilworth artists: potter Robin Kirby of Saluda; jeweler Christie Calaycay, of
Ann & Sandy Batton, Batton Clayworks Edward Bent and Diane Box, Ute Indian Flutes Christie Calaycay Design, Handcrafted jewelry Diana Gillispie, Asheville Tileworks & Pottery Robin Kirby, RBK Pottery Kathie Kline, Robert Kline, Centerpoint Studios, pottery and wooden bowls Michael J. Koza, oil paintings, drawings Joanna Long, artisan jewelry Angela Maddix, A Working Glass Girl Olivia Maddix, cloth characters with hand-sewn personality. Paul Moberg, painted photos Miller Moore Photography Chris Perryman, Domus Aurea Woodworking Studio Michael Robinson, landscapes Janice Mancinelli Sapp, Jan’s Bookbinding Studio Emma Sarver, Emma Ink Tracey Schmidt Photography Mary Webster and Associates, paintings Cliff Yudell, abstract paintings and collages
West Asheville; and photographer/poet Tracey Schmidt of Weaverville. Studio maps with photos of artwork are available at area art galleries, retail stores, hotels, and tourist information sites. A tour map and brochure can be found at kenilworthartists.org. As in the past, each artist will donate 5% of sales to Loving Foods Resources, the Kenilworth-based charity that provides basic necessities to people living with HIV/AIDS.
IF YOU The Kenilworth Art Studio GO Tour takes place Saturday,
May 26, and Sunday, May 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, photos, or a tour map visit www.kenilworthartists.org.
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Mangum Pottery
INTERVIEWED BY
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ob and Beth Mangum met at North Carolina State University School of Design (now the College of Art and Design) where Rob studied graphics and illustration, and Beth focused on fibers and surface design. Rob began making pottery in his parents’ studio in the 70’s. In 1989, he and Beth formed their pottery studio after they graduated from Design School. Rob went on to receive a MFA from Indiana University. They have been creating work out of their Weaverville studio since 1998.
Jewelry • Fine Art Home Furnishings Local Crafts Beth Mangum Photo: Erica Mueller
decided when I was about 5 or 6 years old that I wanted to be an artist and found many opportunities to study along the way and ended up going to college at NCSU design school where I met Rob.
29 Biltmore Ave.
Exclusive Parking in the Rear
(828) 281-4044 www.vandykejewelry.com
RRM: Who are some of your favorite artists
that have influenced you to do what you do? Rob and Beth Mangum. Photo: Erica Mueller
Rapid River Magazine: Tell us something
about your work and about Mangum Pottery.
Rob and Beth Mangum: In our studio in
Weaverville, we create a wide collection of pieces ranging from dinnerware to sculptural vase forms and furniture. Rob works in handbuilding and I work on the potter’s wheel.
RRM: What have you been working on lately? Are you experimenting with anything new?
R&B: In recent years we have moved into
creating some architectural pieces: custom designed tiles, fountains, sinks and furniture for custom homes.
R&B: So many artists have influenced us
along the way. Some that come to mind are Buckminster Fuller and his inventive geometric forms, Georgia O’Keefe, her paitings,imagery and pottery. Antonio Gaudi and the creative relationship of nature and its sensuousness(in our work, the clay) and the lines and forms of geometry. The continuous creative drive of Neil Young, and the mystic poet Rumi. I should mention our biggest inspiration, Rob’s mother Bet Mangum, who passed away a few years ago and joyfully lead us down this path.
RRM: Tell us a little about your ceramic instruments and how it came about.
RRM: What’s the best part of being a full time, working artist?
R&B: The best part of being a full time
working artist is the personal and creative freedom of self employment. However, creativity is a responsibility so staying creative and motivated is challenging.
RRM: Who or what inspired you to get into art?
BM: Rob and I both as individuals had a
strong interest in art as young kids. Rob was able to nurture his interest as a child working alongside his Mom as she developed as a potter and started her business. I
Photo: Erica Mueller
‘Mangum Pottery’ continued on page 27
Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 23
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fine art INTERVIEW WITH
Aaron Stone
INTERVIEWED BY
DENNIS RAY
Owner/Proprietor of Gallery 262
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about Gallery 262.
Aaron Stone: We’re a modern
gallery that offers progressive, “big city”-style in a small mountain town setting. With a focus on contemporary works from over 40 regional artists and craftspeople, Two Six Two features a wide array of original artwork and handcrafted objects for the home, office, or person.
RRM: Is there some kind of philosophy behind your curatorial process? What kind of artists do you find yourself drawn to?
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apid River Magazine: Tell us a little
AS: Waynesville has always been home to
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many great galleries and studios, most of which showcase the more “traditional” artists and styles of the mountains. What Waynesville was lacking was a space that featured some of the more contemporary artists here in Western Carolina, which is the art I’ve always been drawn to. As a kid, my father took me to the Dali Museum in Tampa, which had a real profound effect on me as an 8 or 9 year old. I fell in love with the surrealists, Dali and Ernst and the like, and later I discovered artists like H.R. Geiger and Hieronymus
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Gallery Two Six Two features a wide array of original artwork and handcrafted objects. Photo: Liza Becker
nique and attention to detail are obviously important attributes for any artist, I wanted to showcase those who aren’t afraid to take a risk or try something new. And I really wanted to give young emerging artists a place to show, so we’ve featured numerous new artists who came out of programs like Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program.
RRM: What was your first encounter with the world of selling art?
AS: Opening Two Six Two was
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Photo: Liza Becker
Bosch, he did some really “out there” work for his time. Then in my late teens I got into street art and started writing graffiti. I was heavily influenced by that whole culture, by writers like Sever, Totem, and Espo. I think this is when art, for me, became more about the action or reaction, and not just a pretty picture. So when developing the concept for the gallery, I knew that would be my focus – unique contemporary, even avant-garde, works. Whether a small gift item or piece of furniture or a large painting, I like artists who think outside-the-box. Although tech-
my first foray into the gallery world. My father is a local artist, David Stone, so I had some working knowledge of the business. It’s been a learning process for sure – I knew art and I knew business – but putting the two together was something completely new for me. I’ve asked lots of questions and listened to the responses from our artists and other gallery owners, things that worked or didn’t work in their previous experiences, and I’ve really tried to approach things from an artist’s perspective instead of just a retail business model, which has been a real benefit I think.
RRM: Why did you choose Waynesville as the location for your gallery?
AS: This is where I live, it’s my home.
Honestly, it’s rare I even go into Asheville, I find that all I really need is right here in Haywood County. So Waynesville was just ‘Gallery 262’ continued on page 30
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Toe River Studio Tour Among the Best in the Country
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wice a year, collecBY DENISE COOK tors of fine art and crafts head to the mountains of western North Carolina for the Toe River Studio Tour, which has a national reputation for quality. During the second weekend of June and the first weekend of December, more than 100 artists and craftspeople who live and work in Mitchell and Yancey Counties warmly welcome visitors to their studios for a weekend of browsing and buying. The Toe River Arts Council, a non-profit organization that serves Mitchell and Yancey counties of North Carolina, presents the free, self-guided cultural adventure. The first stop for many visitors is the Spruce Pine TRAC Gallery, at 269 Oak Avenue, which organizes an exhibition of examples of the work of artists who are participating in the tour. This exhibition is on display from May 12 through June 10. The work is arranged according to the location of the artists’ studios, so with the help of the free Tour Guide and Maps, visitors can plan their tour to visit their favorites. After the tour on Friday, June 8, there is a Meet-the-Artists Reception at the gallery from 5 to 7 p.m. “For over a decade, we’ve developed a broad reputation as a first class arts event,” says Denise Cook, executive director. “People come from all over the country to buy from artists whose work they have seen in galleries and museums in New York, Washington, Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco. Names they have seen over and over in books on art glass, pottery, fiber art and basketry are here. They know that many of our artists are top of their field and collected worldwide.” The variety and quality of the art and craft seen on the Toe River Studio Tour is unmatched. Artists in almost every medium open their studios for the tour and most offer a broad selection and price range. Many make small, collectible items just for the tour that aren’t available outside their studios. Often seconds are offered at deep discounts. Bright red signs and a descriptive map guide point the way from studio to studio taking visitors into some of the most scenic and unusual parts of the mountains.
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The Guitar Trader : 732 Haywood Rd. William and Katherine Bernstein - Blown Glass Chickens
(828) 253-2003 : www.AshevilleGuitarTrader.com
IF YOU The Toe River Studio Tour takes place June 8, GO 9 and 10, 2012. The Tour runs Friday the 8, from
LUKE ATKINSON FURNITURE
noon to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Complete information, including a map guide to the participating studios, is available before the Tour at www. toeriverarts.org or by calling (828) 682-7215. The 2012 Holiday Tour will take place November 30, and December 1 and 2.
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Rapid River Magazine Now iPad, Nook, & Kindle Friendly! Stacey Lane, Earrings
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Susan Feagin, Ceramic Cup
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Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 25
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CLASSICAL MUSIC AND PHOTOGRAPHY ART EXHIBIT AT THE MAGNETIC FIELD MAY 30
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n Wednesday, May 30 the Magnetic Field will present an evening of photography and music with AmiciMusic and Liza Becker. The event, featuring violinist Tim Schwarz and pianist Daniel Weiser, is sponsored in part by Rapid River Magazine. AmiciMusic’s “An American Affair” features Schwarz and Weiser performing music by American and English composers – Amy Beach, Aaron Copland, Edward Elgar, and Leonard Bernstein – plus some great “Variations on Yankee Doodle” by Henri Vieuxtemps. AmiciMusic is a new chamber music organization in Asheville dedicated to performing classical music in non-traditional spaces and intimate venues with the aim of breaking
down any barriers between performers and audience members through a more relaxed and informal atmosphere. They are working with the Magnetic Theater to establish
Photography by Liza Becker
a series of “classical concerts for a new generation” which remove any elitism or stuffiness and showcase only the passion, energy and rhythmic vitality of the music that is played. Schwarz and Weiser are both graduates of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, where they formed the Upper Valley Duo, a violin and piano team dediDaniel Weiser cated to performing American music. As the Duo, they were selected as 1996 US Artistic Ambassadors, for which they were sent on a two-month, eleven-country tour or the Middle East and Southeast Asia in order to showcase our American music in a variety of cultures, including Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. They were praised for Tim Schwarz “keeping American culture alive” and for providing “melodic revelations” that “moved people to tears.”
BY
DENNIS RAY
Schwarz is currently the Head of the String Program at Lehigh University and is also a violinist in the Serafin String Quartet. Weiser is a former professor at Dartmouth College who moved to Asheville in 2009 and is an active member of the musical community. A Western North Carolina resident, Liza Becker found her passion for photography beginning when she had her first child. The importance and relevance of capturing cherished passing moments grew from there. Each of her pieces begins with a journey: to the wilderness, to a waterfall, to a field, to a city, to a celebration. She blends into her environment, not manipulating anything hap‘Affair’ continued on page 27
INTERVIEW WITH
Mark Atkinson
of Luke Atkinson Furniture Company
L
uke Atkinson Furniture has served the Carolinas for the past 57 years with unmatched customer service and quality furniture at unbelievable prices. They have built a heritage three generations deep and take pride in the fact that they are now serving the great-grandchildren of their original customers. A family owned business, founded in 1955, they are known for providing quality furniture at discounted prices in a friendly, old-fashioned atmosphere.
Rapid River Magazine: Tell us a little about Luke Atkinson Furniture Co. and when it first opened.
Mark Atkinson: My father, Luke Atkin-
son, moved to Asheville as a salesman for General Mills. He opened his furniture store as a part time venture. When General Mills heard about the furniture store they told him he had to close his store or leave General Mills. He was making more money
INTERVIEWED BY
DENNIS RAY
Photo: Liza Becker
RRM: What advice do you give people who
are redecorating or wanting to update their rooms?
MA: Find furniture that fits your taste and
with furniture, so here we are today.
RRM: Your father started this business in
1955. When did you first get into the furniture business?
your room. Do not settle for something just because you can’t find what you want on the show room floor. Furniture for the masses might not feel like home to you. Local art is a wonderful way to add to the look and feel you want.
RRM: Do you work with your customers
niture before I could drive. I started full-time in 1981 when I graduated from Clemson.
in designing a custom look to fit both their budget and style through furniture and accessories?
RRM: What are your most popular styles of
get the right fit for every customer.
MA: I worked in the store and delivered fur-
furniture in 2012 that you carry?
MA: Our customers seem to like smaller
pieces with straight lines and a mix between traditional and modern styling.
26 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
MA: We do a lot of special ordering to try to RRM: Your showroom is filled with luxuri-
ous, timeless, and beautifully blended new furniture pieces. What determines what goes on your showroom floor?
MA: We listen to our customers and our
suppliers to determine what we think our store needs to offer.
RRM: What does Luke Atkinson Furniture
Co. offer that larger national chain stores do not?
MA: We keep more furniture that is not so
bulky and over stuffed. Which lends itself well to smaller settings. We are also currently showcasing some local art by wood turner Don Peek, paintings by Tony Biddix, and art by Rick Hills.
Luke Atkinson Furniture Company 728 Haywood Road Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 252-7168 www.lukeatkinsonfurniture.com
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noteworthy ‘Mangum Pottery’ continued from page 23
BM: Through being a musician. Rob, as a
fiddler decided to approach violin making through slab-building. As a graduate MFA student in ceramics he chose to investigate the origins of Appalachian stringed instruments as his graduate thesis. This led him to study banjos and how they were made. The round part of the banjo is called “the pot” so it was a natural urge to make that part out of clay. The banjos are tunable and playable and have been collected by some hot pickers in the area. They are also an expression of Rob’s interest in woodworking and the marriage of wood and clay.
RRM: Tell us a little about the process from clay to finished product — do you create as you go or are the more elaborate pieces designed on paper before hand?
20 Winners!
1st
Annual
R&B: Most of our pieces start out as designs
on paper and then, if the forms are slab forms , paper templates are made and the pieces are cut out of flat slabs of clay. Angles are cut into the edges of the pieces and then those are sculpted together.
Mangum Pottery 16 N Main St. Weaverville, NC 28787
RRM: What techniques do you utilize, and
(828) 645-4929 • (888) 288-2112
R&B: Stoneware clay, handbuilding and
Store Hours: 9-5 Mon-Fri., 10-4 Sat www.mangumpottery.com
what materials do you use? wheelthrowing.
Artists Wanted! PR I Z ES GALOR E ~ E NTE R TO WI N TODAY!
• Your Artwork on the Cover and a Feature Article in Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine • Signs, Posters, Bumper Stickers Printed Sign-A-Rama • $1000 Framing - Great Smokies Creations • 12 Week Art Class, $700 value The Fine Arts League of the Carolinas
SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE CONSTELLATION NORMA
R
eturning to and united by themes of worship, loss, ceremony and regeneration, this exhibition of black and white photographs by Ralph Burns, is on display through June 30, 2012. This exhibition is Burns’ first solo exhibition in North Carolina since 2005, and his first in Asheville since 1994. Pink Dog Creative, 346 Depot St., Asheville. Visit www.pinkdog-creative.com.
Entry Forms Available Online and at These Fine Locations * Thank you to our event sponsors!
see in the strip, but it comes across in what the characters say and do. The other thing we would suggest to someone just getting started is to write backwards. That is, start with the punchline and construct your strip backwards from that. We’ve found that it makes us much more efficient!
pening around her. And then… she captures ephemeral moments. Viewing Becker’s photographs invites you to stop and relax, to just appreciate time… moments. They capture an essence that may be fleeting for most of us. Becker travels near and far seeking a range of opportunities to experience and share. Whether leaving at 4 a.m. to capture shots of wild buffalo, delving into the evening hours to discover the dancing lights over cityscapes, hiking into the wilderness or noticing the exquisiteness of a single flower, you will see the simple beauty and discerning taste of this exceptional artist.
The Curmudgeon, by Peter Loewer, will return next month. Loewer has written and illustrated more than twenty-five books on natural history over the past thirty years.
Entry Deadline May 20, 2012
$20/ Entry Fee • $10 for each Additional Entry
‘Affair’ continued from page 26
For more Ratchet & Spin episodes visit www.jackiewoods.org
• Artist Portfolio Photography by Liza Becker, $350+ value
• June 15-27, Dan McClendon Fine Art • June 16-20, Waynesville Fly Shop • June 2 - July 10, Jack of Hearts Pub & Restaurant • June 29 - July 5, Creatures Café • July 6-17, Great Smokey's Creations • July 1-31, Gallery 262 • July 20 - August 7, Riverside Studios • August 3-16, Studio B • August 10-28, Van Dyke Gallery • August 17-23, Frame-It-to-a-T • August 24 - September 4, Fine Arts League of the Carolinas • September 6-17, Neo Cantina
Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 entries. There will also be a People’s Choice Award. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Friends of Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
‘T. Oder, R. Woods’ continued from page 15
For more information on Adawehi, the intentional community, visit www.adawehi.com
Catered Receptions
• Top 20 Semi-finalists featured during Asheville Lyric Opera’s Taste of Opera at the Crown Plaza Resort, Saturday, June 9, 2012.
www.amicimusic.org www.lizabeckerphotography.com www.rapidrivermagazine.com www.themagneticfield.com
IF YOU An evening of photography and GO music, Wednesday, May 30, from 7
Asheville Asheville Lyric Opera * 236-0670, YMI Building, 39 S. Market Street Bistro 1896 * 251-1300, 7 Pack Square SW, Downtown Asheville Creatures Cafe * 254-3636, 81 Patton Ave., Asheville Daniel McClendon Fine Art * 349 Depot St., (269) 267-4113, Asheville Fine Arts League of the Carolinas * 252-5050, 362 Depot St., Asheville Frame It To-a-T * 665-7730, 1103 Brevard Rd., South Asheville French Broad Food Co-Op * 255-7650, 90 Biltmore Ave., Asheville
Biltmore Village NEO Cantina * www.neocantina.com
Green Light Cafe * 250-3800, 18 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville Guitar Trader * 732 Haywood Rd., Asheville Jimmy John’s Subs * 5-A Biltmore Ave., Downtown Asheville Luke Atkinson Furniture * 252-7168, 728 Haywood Rd., West Asheville Gallery MIA * 254-8949, 61.5 Lexington Ave., Asheville Mamacita’s Mexican Grille * 77 Biltmore Ave., Downtown Asheville Sign-A-Rama * 484-1590, www. wncsigns.com, 1216 Hendersonville Rd., Van Dyke Gallery * 281-4044, 29 Biltmore Ave., Downtown Asheville
Kanini’s * 507-3654, 1196 North Main St., Waynesville Village Green * 273-2635, 389 Walnut St., Waynesville Strains of Music * 456-3331, 67 Academy St., Waynesville
Waynesville Bogarts Restaurant * 452-1313, 303 South Main St., Waynesville Cornerstone Cafe * 452-4259, 1092 North Main St., Waynesville Friends of Great Smoky Mountain National Park Gallery 262 * 142 N. Main St., Waynesville Great Smokies Creations * 85 Muse Business Park, South Waynesville
Weaverville Jack of Hearts * 645-2700, 10 South Main, Weaverville Studio B * 225-5200, 171 Weaverville Hwy., Weaverville
www.rapidrivermagazine.com/cover-design-contest
to 10 p.m. at the Magnetic Theatre, 372 Depot St. Asheville. Cost: Free. Phone (828) 257-4003. Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 27
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poetry & poets
James Still
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THE DEAN OF APPALACHIAN LITERATURE
ames Still (1906-2001) wrote “Heritage,” his signature poem, in 1935, and he continued to read it before audiences large and small into the 21st Century. Integrally associated with eastern Kentucky, Still was reared in Chambers County, Alabama. He attended Lincoln Memorial University, then Vanderbilt University, and finally the University of Illinois, before moving to eastern Kentucky during the early years of the Great Depression. Still would call the Cumberland Plateau home until his death, living primarily in Knott County – either in Hindman at the Hindman Settlement School, or in a log house 11 miles from town. “Heritage” was among the 123 poems included in Still’s From the Mountain, From the Valley: New and Collected Poems (University Press of Kentucky, 2001), a book for which I served as editor. While rarely incorporated into national anthologies and thus are not as widely known as they ought to be, Still’s poems make for deeply satisfying reading both thematically (they evoke Appalachian life in memorable ways) as well as stylistically (they are as musical and enchanting as the finest mountain ballads). Published shortly after Still’s death and serving as a vivid tribute to this master author, From the Mountain, From the Valley in 2002 was named the Appalachian Book of the Year by the Appalachian Writers Association. James Still stayed on people’s minds,
READING AND BOOKSIGNING WITH WILEY CASH In A Land More Kind Than Home, debut novelist Wiley Cash gives us a mesmerizing literary thriller about the bond between two brothers and the evil they face in a small Western North Carolina town. Fred Chappell has called this “one of the most powerful novels I have ever read.” This event is part of the Thomas Wolfe Conference. IF YOU Saturday, May 19 at 4 p.m. GO Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55
Haywood Street, downtown Asheville. For details call (828) 254-6734 or visit www.malaprops.com.
Heritage
that his masterful writings will I shall not leave these prisoning hills once again attract Though they topple their barren heads to level earth a broad-based And the forests slide uprooted out of the sky. national, even Though the waters of Troublesome, of Trace Fork, international, Of Sand Lick rise in a single body to glean the valleys, readership. To drown lush pennyroyal, to unravel rail fences; Still was a Though the sun-ball breaks the ridges into dust master of three And burns its strength into the blistered rock literary genres I cannot leave. I cannot go away. – the poem, the novel, and the Being of these hills, being one with the fox short story – and Stealing into the shadows, one with the new-born foal, while his achieveThe lumbering ox drawing green beech logs to mill, ment in the first two One with the destined feet of man climbing and descending, genres has received And one with death rising to bloom again, I cannot go. attention in recent Being of these hills I cannot pass beyond. years, his work in by James Still the short story form has been comparatively overlooked. This is unfortunate because certain of Still’s and his works remained in people’s hearts, short stories are among his strongest literary during the decade after his death. Two bookefforts, and a few of his short stories are as length collections I edited, James Still: Critifully realized and as memorable as any in the cal Writings on the Dean of Appalachian Lithistory of American literature. erature (2007) and James Still in Interviews, In conversations I had with Still in 1999 Oral Histories, and Memoirs (2009), offered regarding ways to disseminate his life’s work personal and scholarly reflections upon Still’s to the widest possible public, Still gave me life and work from a range of writers. Two his blessing to oversee the editing of two other scholars, Claude Lafie Crum and Mars book collections: From the Mountain, From Hill College professor Carol Boggess, wrote the Valley and a compilation of his short and published studies exploring Still’s literstories. Still read the galleys for the poetry ary achievement. In 2011, Still’s final novel collection, but the short stories project was Chinaberry (edited by author Silas House) conducted entirely without his input. It is was published. Meanwhile, Still’s classic first my sincere hope that the latter project, pubnovel River of Earth (1940) found many new lished in April 2012 as The Hills Remember: readers across Appalachia and to some extent The Complete Short Stories of James Still around the nation. (University Press of Kentucky), would make While in recent decades Still was tagged its author proud. with the nickname “the Dean of Appalachian This new book contains all of the short Literature,” his early works were read nationstories that Still ever wrote. Of the 53 stories ally. From the 1930s to the 1950s his poems featured in The Hills Remember Remember, seven were and short stories were published in such long out-of-print and 10 had never been leading periodicals as The Atlantic and The published anywhere. The other stories in the Saturday Evening Post Post, and his books were book, while available in previously pubissued by Viking Press. Still always intended lished collections, had never been compiled his work to reach a national audience. together. And what does the chronological Although Still happened to live in and arrangement of Still’s body of work in this to write about eastern Kentucky, his literary particular genre reveal about his trajectory as evocations of one section of the Cumbera crafter of short fiction? land Plateau and of the folklife he witnessed Still’s earliest stories (1930s-1941) reflect therein constitute some of the finest writing his discovery of his primary subject matter about any region in the United States. As – the people and folk culture he encountered a scholar of Still’s work and the editor of in and around his adopted eastern Kentucky a portion of his literary legacy, my hope is
Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement The story of the American Quilt Trail, featuring large colorful quilt square patterns painted on barns throughout North America, is one of the fastest-growing grassroots public arts movements in the United States and Canada. In this beautifully photographed book, Suzi Parron takes us to visit the people and places that have put this movement on America’s tourist and folk art map. Written by Suzi Parron with Donna Sue Groves.
28 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
BY TED
OLSON
home; also during this period Still experimented with utilizing Appalachian dialectical language, and his Depression Era short stories (and accordingly River of Earth, which was conEarth structed out of 12 short stories that are also included in this new book) are infused with Still’s brilliant literary approximation of Appalachian speech. Still’s wartime and post-war short stories employ a sparer approach to language and less use of dialect and are noteworthy for their acuity of psychological vision. Still’s short stories constitute the connecting link between his poetry and his novels. His short stories expanded upon the strengths of his poems and ultimately encouraged his imagination to explore the extended narrative novel form. In his haunting and resonant short stories, Still distilled his visions and his values into minimalist landscapes. To many readers his short stories seem closer to being outpourings from the oral tradition – like evocative and timeless yet remarkably simple tales and legends from the soul of Appalachia – than to being conventional, selfconsciously composed “literary works.” On Tuesday, May 22, I’ll be in Asheville at Malaprop’s to discuss James Still, The Hills Remember, and Still’s role in the American and Appalachian literary worlds. I’ll also perform a few of the ballads and songs that inspired Still, and if encouraged I may read a poem or two from my own recent poetry collection. IF YOU Ted Olson reads from The Hills GO Remember: The Complete Short
Stories of James Still. Tuesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. Malaprop’s Bookstore/ Café, 55 Haywood Street, downtown Asheville. For details call (828) 254-6734 or visit www.malaprops.com. Ted Olson is the author of such books as Breathing in Darkness: Poems (Wind Publications, 2006) and Blue Ridge Folklife (University Press of Mississippi, 1998) and he is the editor of numerous books, including The Hills Remember: The Complete Short Stories of James Still (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). His experiences as a poet and musician are discussed on www.windpub. com/books/breathingindarkness.htm
Poets who would like for their poetry to be considered for a future column may send their books and manuscripts to Ted Olson, ETSU, Box 70400, Johnson City, TN 37614. Please include contact information and a SASE with submissions.
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authors ~ books ~ readings MacTiernan’s Bottle WRITTEN BY MICHAEL HOPPING
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ooking for cheery, sun-dazzled stories for your vacation reading? Then don’t put MacTiernan’s Bottle in your beach bag. The collection of 13 short stories and an essay by local author Michael Hopping is not a throwaway item. It’s meant to grab your full attention, throttle you a bit, and convince you to read it a second time to catch all the subtleties you might have missed on your first go-round. “…regardless of our poses,” Hopping writes, “who among us doesn’t dream of being understood?” Who indeed? The more accelerated life becomes, the more like an outsider many of us feel–and the more pressing is our desire to be understood. What Hopping does—in his lean, unpredictable, compassionate and edgy style—is tell stories that portray the often torturous paths by which human beings come to understand themselves. To do this and be entertaining at the same time is no mean accomplishment.
“’who among us doesn’t dream of being understood?” And not without risk—on the few occasions when one of Hopping’s stories might miss the mark, it still inspires admiration for the courage it took to attempt it. One tale of the 13 is thigh-slapping hilarious, two are heart-breaking, several are absolute gems, and all introduce you to characters you can’t stop thinking about.
27 VIEWS OF ASHEVILLE Twenty-seven writers contribute poetry, essays, short stories, and book excerpts, offering readers a broad and varied picture of life in Asheville, past and present, as well as a sense of the town’s literary breadth. Contributing authors include Sharyn McCrumb, Heather Newton, Gail Godwin, Ron Rash and many others.
IF YOU GO: May 12 at 3 p.m. Malaprop’s Bookstore/ Café, 55 Haywood Street. (828) 2546734, www.malaprops.com.
REVIEW BY
MARCIANNE MILLER
A psychiatrist before he became a Michael Hopping writer, Hopping no doubt found his muse by listening for decades to other people’s troubles. How else to explain the wondrous diversity of his tales? Among their locations are a snakeinfested farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains (“Snakebit”), a cave in the Ozarks made hellish without a flashlight (“A Relic of War”), an abandoned barn that erases the past (“The Painter of Kitsch”), and a nasty house near the Des Moines river where a boy learns to defy his abusive parents (“Sphinx”). In such an array of tales, it’s natural that readers’ reactions to any one of them can be poles apart. Case in point—in his January 28th review in the Mountain Xpress, Bill Branyon found the story “Thirty-Eighth Parallel” to be a “severe downer.” As a PTSD spouse, I felt the surreal nightmare set in wintry Kansas was brilliant and so evocative of the distortions caused by the war-induced affliction that it should be required reading at the VA Medical Center. The title story, “MacTiernan’s Bottle,” is a soaring, complex tale, as haunting and visually arresting as a Hollywood thriller. Workmen in a remote western North Carolina community find a preposterously beautiful fresco hidden behind the walls in an old motel. It was created decades ago by a famous artist. How did he manage to make it with no one knowing about it? Why did he make it here, why hide it? And what tragedy does artistic beauty try to plaster over? In “Complications,” Hopping channels his inner Feral Chihuahua in a side-splitting yarn about an honesty-challenged husband who gets a vasectomy to thwart his wife’s urge to fill her “belly hole.” In “Toasted,” a lapsed Methodist discovers an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a loaf of burned bread, which inspires him to escape the earnest, cash-donating Latino Catholics who descend on him—and do something really Christian. My favorite story is one that took me a while to figure out because I wasn’t sure all
the time who was talking. In “Avatars,” a field biologist named Matt is on an airplane headed to North Carolina to testify against the U.S. Air Force in a zoning war. As if that prospect weren’t enough to unhinge his equilibrium, next to him sits a beautiful brunette “with aquamarine eyes.” Matt would love to chat her up, but Luie, his “avatar,” the”irritating skullmate” who lives inside his head, can’t keep his comments to himself. The poor scientist has quite a headful of problems trying to get to fertile ground with his lovely seatmate. The last piece is an erudite essay, fascinating and impressive, but a tad incongruous among the short stories. “Afterword: Literature as Magic Theatre” ranges through history and literature to discuss the division between writers who want their work to have social impact, and those who write as art.
“…lean, unpredictable, compassionate and edgy…” Hopping’s memories of being inside Newgrange, Ireland’s ancient monument to the yearly return of the winter sun, are so thrilling, they warrant their own story. A triskele, a Neolithic symbol of three interlocking spirals, decorates the cover of MacTiernan’s Bottle, as if hinting at the timelessness of the stories the reader will find inside. Bottom line: An exciting collection of new stories by a mature local voice. MacTiernan’s Bottle, written by Michael
Hopping; Pisgah Press (2012); 237 pp.; $14.95; www.pisgahpress.com. For more information on Michael Hopping visit www.michaelhopping.com
MAY
We host numerous Readings, Bookclubs, as well as Poetrio!
PARTIAL LISTING More events posted online.
READINGS & BOOKSIGNINGS May 3 at 7 p.m. BARBARA VERKUILEN The Tale of Zen Master Bho-li. May 4 at 7 p.m. Reading with CARTER SICKELS, author of The Evening Hour May 5 at 3 p.m. MARIJO MOORE: Book of Ceremonies. Free 10 minute consultation with each book purchase. May 7 at 7 p.m. Meet ZACH WAHLS, the young man who defended his two moms. May 8 at 7 p.m. Chinese Medicine Health Series with KATH BARTLETT. May 11 at 7 p.m. ELIZABETH CUNNINGHAM, Red-Robed Priestess. May 15 at 7 p.m. Four Sisters All Queens, reading with SHERRY JONES. May 16 at 7 p.m. City of Slaughter reading with CYNTHIA DREW. May 17 at 7 p.m. TAMRA WILSON, Dining with Robert Redford & Other Stories. May 18 at 7 p.m. Graphic Novels & The New Visual Literary with MARK SIEGEL. May 19 at 4 p.m. WILEY CASH, author of In a Land More Kind Than Home. May 23 at 7 p.m. GERALDINE BROOKS, Caleb’s Crossing. Ticketed event! May 24 at 7 p.m. Autism Panel with ANN PALMER and guests. May 25 at 7 p.m. Novelist MICHEL STONE author of The Iguana Tree. May 27 at 3 p.m. JENNY BENNETT author of Murder at the Jumpoff. May 29 at 7 p.m. TAYARI JONES author of Silver Sparrow. May 30 at 7 p.m. Strategies For a Successful ADHD College Experience with COACH RUDY.
55 Haywood St.
828-254-6734 • 800-441-9829 Monday-Saturday 9AM to 9PM Sunday 9AM to 7PM
IF YOU Michael Hopping reads from GO his collection of short stories,
MacTiernan’s Bottle. Saturday, June 23 at 7 p.m. Malaprop’s Bookstore/ Café, 55 Haywood Street, downtown Asheville. For more details call (828) 2546734 or visit www.malaprops.com. Marcianne Miller is a local writer/ reviewer who is completing her first novel, about spiritual communities in Asheville.
Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 29
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southern comfort COLLECTED STORIES AND PROSE OF WRITER, JUDY AUSLEY
Like a Rolling Stone - Revan’s Search for Identity
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fter years of living like “a rolling stone” Revan chugged into Asheville in an old motor home that had a blown gasket and was barely running. Revan carries with him a determination to finish his long story of searching for his American Indian roots in western North Carolina. How many times in the years I have been in and out of Asheville have I heard someone new say, “I am in Asheville because I was drawn here,” or “It is a spiritual thing and I know I am supposed to be here for a reason; it feels right for me” and on and on. Revan, as folks know him, carries no last name. He prefers that — in Washington state where he was living for a number of years, Revan is the only name on his driver’s license. Not usually what people seeking a license do, but understandably because from the beginning of time many dancers, entertainers and writers often use only a first name when they are performing. Revan says
‘Gallery 262’ continued from page 24
of a given, I never even considered another location. And as I mentioned earlier, I really felt Waynesville needed a space that showed contemporary work, something different from the norm in “mountain art.”
RRM: How would you describe the art scene in Waynesville?
AS: I’ve never really been into the “art scene”
per se, but I do know a lot of area artists & craftspeople, and the local arts community is as varied as the culture is here in the mountains. You have such a diverse group of people – be it age, cultural background, socio-economics, art interests, whatever – it’s really a lot of fun to experience such a diverse group getting together and interacting on nights like Art After Dark. One thing that has really impressed me is the absolute openness and support that many of our artists have shown. When we moved the gallery from Depot Street in Frog Level, up to Main Street this past October, I was in the midst of getting married that same weekend. Most owners would have simply put the move on hold, but I had such support from wife and my family & all the artists that we pulled it off simultaneously! They literally took the move over, painting walls and hanging work and re-opening the gallery, all while I was on my honeymoon. I doubt there’s many gallery owners who can
say their artists would do that!
RRM: Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?
AS: Don’t be afraid to experiment, to try out new techniques or styles or mediums, to step out of your comfort zone. This is when the truly inspiring, truly extraordinary work usually comes through.
RRM: Do you have a favorite piece or collection you would never sell?
AS: I’d have to say favorite pieces in the
personal collection are actually from two artists that show at the gallery. One is an early piece by good friend Waylon Christner, done right after he came to Western Carolina if I remember correct. It had hung in the old Wildfire restaurant for some time, and I always caught myself staring at it for long moments. The other paintings are by Matt Gernandt, a fellow (former) graffiti writer, who I met years back when he was first starting to work on canvases. Getting to know him on a personal level & watching his style progress, I really value those pieces of his in my collection.
Gallery 262 142 N. Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786 (828) 452-6100 www.gallerytwosixtwo.com
30 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
it’s because of feeling close to his roots. He is a very colorful guy, often seen in north Asheville neighborhoods attired in shorts and bright flowered shirt and hat. His long and unkempt sandy hair adds to his airs of “old hippie days” resemblance, in my opinion. His friendly smile and laid back nature certainly compliments his look of being “a man free within self.” Revan has spent most of his life as a “music man,” with an Indian flute he has owned and played for a long time, and his old guitar. His plan for following his dream and his ancestors in Cherokee: he dreamt of making a sturdy canoe and paddling his way to Asheville. I cannot imagine this, I told him, but I see his dream and coy smile. “My dreaming was natural back in those days and I still have a strong-willed desire to live on the edge,” Revan said. His Mother was in New York when she gave birth to Revan. She was out of money and in the streets. She had been driven from her father’s home and disowned because of her teen pregnancy. He says she had no more than anyone we identify as homeless – stuck in a big city with no place to go and no food to eat. Apparently she found the Salvation Army and in May of 1950, Revan was born and eventually placed in adoption with a family in Long Island near the city. In his early life Revan spent time in foster care and was adopted into or sent to several homes through adoption. He said, “At times I was in good places and some not so good,” he admitted, “but it never felt right. . . . There was a hole or void in my heart. It was terrifying.” “I wanted to be with my Mother. I was determined to find her,” Revan added. He could not wait to search for her, which became a dream of yearning for information. Years later, Revan found his mother living in South Carolina after intense searching all over the country. Mildred Eckhardt and his grandmother were living in the town of Iva, a small town very near the Georgia line in western N.C. Another happy moment occurred after finding his mother. He discovered he has a sister and two brothers. Revan’s grandmother was Georgia Arizona Hayes, which is where he believes his Cherokee ancestors come into the picture. His plans are to spend more time in Cherokee getting to know the rich history and culture that runs deep. Revan believes it will open up more information about his early ancestry. Oh, and “Henry,” his disabled traveling home, will have to be repaired before many more trips. When asked about his future, his reply
BY JUDY
AUSLEY
was, “I have no plans at the moment. I want to enjoy being someplace [where,] for the first time in my life, I feel really at home.” “It is a wonderful feeling,” he added, with a smile, “I no longer feel that void in my life.” His mother is deceased now, but Revan is content, knowing he enjoyed precious time with her before her death.
“I totally agree with Governor Beverly Perdue’s stand on the alleged marriage amendment that will be before all voting residents of North Carolina. Vote NO to this motion by the legislative Republicans in Raleigh. This is discrimination and I urge you to cast your vote against the amendment.” Writer Judy Ausley has been a reporter with newspapers in NC for 40 years. She retired in 2005 and continues to freelance at her home in Asheville. She can be contacted by e-mail at Judyausley@aol.com. If you know a character in Asheville who has not had a conventional life, put them in touch with Judy for an article in this column, Southern Comfort.
ASHEVILLE WORDFEST 2012 Asheville Wordfest maintains that if something doesn’t speak to everybody, then it probably isn’t the truth. Join Asheville Wordfest as we revel in how poetry has a way of speaking to everyone. HOME: Place and Planet will take place from Wednesday, May 2 through Saturday May 5, 2012 at Grateful Steps Foundation Bookshop and The Altamont Theater in Asheville. Wordfest 2012 features: Jeff Davis, Katherine Soniat, Caleb Beissert, Erik Bendix, DeWayne Barton, Barbie Angell, Roberto Hess, James Davis, Tracey Schmidt, Jonathan Santos, Matt Mulder, writers of the Our Voice Together We Stand anthology, students of the Great Smokies Writing Program, a whole group of our children and young adults, and many more members of our community.
IF YOU GO: For more information please visit www.ashevillewordfest.com.
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artful living Why We Must Meditate Meditation is not a separate something from daily life… meditation is a form of understanding one’s relationship to the world and one’s relationship to nature… (We are) enquiring into the whole nature of thinking, enquiring into the nature why human beings are behaving in this way, enquiring into or probing into the depth of life, what it all means, if there is something beyond the ordinary daily monotonous wearisome life. To enquire if there is something sacred. ~ J. Krishnamurti
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he greatest unrealized truth is that meditation is essential to modern humanty, and what is also clear, since meditation is not realized as essential, is that we are in serious difficulty. We are too many and too powerful to continue along in the same basic consciousness as we have for thousands of years, building our civilizations, our monuments to human specialness and competition, our abstractions of what it means to be alive on this planet. We must realize some basic truths. We must face the truth of our relationship to the world and to nature, to the depth of life, to find out, as Krishnamurti said, “if there is something sacred” in this life. The one inescapable truth is that only meditation can do this. But this search for the sacred is not how we live. We are primarily concerned with our very secular selves, content with fictions about the sacred. We are living in a daze, superficially, trying to avoid anything we consider unpleasant or inconvenient, while stirring up misery and drama unnecessarily, creating as much significance for ourselves as we can, engaged in a never-ending, never-accomplished “pursuit of happiness.” We thoughtlessly believe the purpose of life is to acquire more and more “security” through possessions and status, to seek more and more leisure and entertainment, to accumulate more superficial relationships, and to live as if this will give us happiness, and we are completely mystified that it doesn’t. We never question. We just up the ante. We work harder, we play harder, we buy more stuff, we stir up more drama, asserting that this gives meaning and importance to our lives. We declare what we do as important and necessary, as the only way to be. We may seek personal improvement through therapies, continued learning, even spiritual practices. We may actually want to be better - or not. The end result still seems only marginally different and improved. We take more pills that promise relief from depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, gastric distress, headaches and sexual dysfunction. We invest more and more in insuring longer, healthier, more financially secure lives without really knowing what to do with the lives we have. We go to churches and we take up spiritual practices because we are told that in
them we will find meaning, and they, like television or other diversions, temporarily relieve our isolation. They stimulate and entertain us; and do give us contact with others who also seek the same meaning we long for. We may actually find some meaning, some sense of touching something infinite, although we don’t exactly know why. But none of it ever changes the basic problems of our lives or the problems of humanity. What we do as individuals, we likewise do as collectives that have lives of their own: nations, governments, religions, corporations. There is no thought to the implication that these entities lack conscience or compassion while they have resources that give them access and voice a thousand, a million-fold over any individual. Human suffering and the degradation of the planet rolls on. And we watch our society become one big market place with everything for sale, everything with a price-tag, including our leaders and our laws. What ought to be basic rights like education and health-care have become commodities available only at a price, increasingly out of reach for many. Access to nature now frequently comes with an admission fee. Banks stand looking like temples, as is appropriate to their status in our society. Corporations seem to own everything. We have little morality, but more and more laws and “ethics,” violations of which will swiftly bring law suits, but there is little justice or fairness. No one is responsible for their own foolishness, yet everyone is accountable for any infraction of the rules (except those with influence). This is actually nothing new. Religions, political parties, nations, ideologies have long functioned as super-individuals (egos), causing untold harm and suffering, pursuing their interests to the exclusion of the interests of those who are not the “we.” Thousands of years of this. With the passing of centuries, the dynamic only becomes increasingly energetic, increasingly concentrated, abstract and sophisticated, causing more harm and suffering, now threatening the balance of the very ecosystem humanity depends on for life, and we seem incapable of the fundamental change that we all know is necessary. Like an over-indulgent, long-suffering mother, the collective of life and the collective
BY
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of the planet has indulged this self-centered, self-indulgent childish spoiled behavior. And like a spoiled child who only pursues its own pleasure, the child is not happy, does not know what happiness is, yet acts out even more, seemingly incapable of any insight into its own behavior as the source of its unhappiness. The mother is now exhausted, has little left to give, but the pampered child, in complete denial of its situation, expects the pampering and spoiling to go on indefinitely. The situation is insane, and what is the most insane is that this is what is considered completely “normal.” Does this seem like an overly harsh and judgmental assessment of the state of humanity? A deeper consideration (meditation) will show the truth of it, and it is the deeper consideration that we are incapable of without being directed to it. We are just caught in the momentum of thousands of years of conditioning to consider all this dysfunction as “normal.” For all of humanity’s technological progress, even its political and philosophical progress towards recognizing the worth of the individual and the universality of some basic rights, we fail to see the basic flaw that comes from living within thought structures that tell us we are separate, self-interested individuals living within separate, self-interested collectives. Compassion is relegated to arcane religious teachings, rather than realized as an essential psychological necessity. We experience the consequences of this delusional consciousness, but we fail to recognize the flaw in the consciousness that is the cause of the consequences. We believe that we are these separate selfinterested entities because our culture has told us that we are. What we fail to realize is that this is nothing but a thought; and a very bad thought at that, and it has been responsible for every war, every act of insensititvity, every abuse, every exploitation, every prejudice, every division and conflict, every inequity that has plagued humanity as individuals and collectives. We fail to realize, to feel, the one indespensable insight: that we are one collective that is life, and so we humans, as individuals and as collectives, fail to act as one collective that is within and dependent upon the greater collective that is life. We fail to realize that we each are akin to the individual cells that make up the individual organs of a human body that act as one collective that supports the organism, a human being. So too, we will be unable to function with real harmony and happiness as individuals, as collectives, as the human species, until we realize the consciousness that is the collective Life on the organism/planet Earth as who we are. Will this make us unthinking automa-
tons? No. It will allow us to apply our intelligence, our creativity, our individuality in the service of Life, in the service of harmony and happiness, and just like a child who realizes spontaneous, cooperative, kind play is far more rewarding than conniving, selfish, hurtful behavior, we can then discover what true happiness and human productivity is. But to find this, we must go deeper in consciousness than the programmed thought structures of competetive individual selfishness that human civilization has conditioned into us for thousands of years. We must – as Krishnamurti talked and wrote about – engage in a total inner revolution – a turning over of what we accept as normal – to see what is real. This seeing what is real in the universe of our minds and the universe around us is what meditation is, and only in the silent awareness of true meditation can we look at, see and feel the truth of who we are, what is real and what is unreal. Then, we can discover that there is something sacred, and it is life, and it is you and me and all humanity and all fellow creatures and every moment of this precious experiance that is human life and existence. Then we can rebuild this human civilization in the honoring and celebration of every life and all life. And along the way, each of us as individuals will discover real happiness and creativity and meaning. This is why we must meditate.
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. Visit www.billwalz.com
Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 31
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health Do I Need Antibiotics?
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oc, don’t I need BY MAX HAMMONDS, MD antibiotics?” is a frequent question heard by Limit the many physicians. inappropriate Some of the most common use of antibiotics problems – like colds, sinus infections, urinary tract inin people and fections, bronchitis – cause animals. many patients to miss work and feel miserable. The patients assume that they should be taking an antibiotic. What they don’t know is that an antibiotic may be exactly the wrong thing to be taking – for several reasons.
Reason #1: Antibiotic misuse – Most common infections like those listed above are caused by a virus and NOT by a bacterium. Antibiotics will not kill viruses. Antibiotics will not make you feel better and will not get you back to work faster. Do not ask for antibiotics if the doctor says you have a virus. If you want to be sure, ask the doctor for a culture.
Reason #2: Inappropriate antibiotic use – Patients think that
because they have the same symptoms now that they had the last time, they should take some more of the medicines that they have left over in the medicine cabinet from the last time. Two problems – same symptoms may not be the same problem (sinusitis last time – allergies this time) AND why do they have left over antibiotics? – because they didn’t take all of their antibiotic last time. They quit taking it when they felt better. Antibiotics must be taken in the proper dosage, for the proper time, for the appropriate problem. Don’t self-prescribe your own antibiotic left-overs.
Reason #3: Antibiotics in animals and in people without
infections – Since 1977, the FDA has known that antibiotics have been used in animals (without infections) to promote rapid growth. This has caused several common bacteria that are common to man and animals (E. coli, Salmonella, Enterococcus) to become resistant to some of the common antibiotics. These bacteria are infecting people and are not easily treated. Other bacteria (MRSA and VRE as well as some strains of tuberculosis) are becoming more common in the general population and are almost untreatable, because antibiotics have been so overused that these bacteria have developed resistance. Find out how you can add your voice to limiting the inappropriate use of antibiotics in people and animals.
Reason #4: Empiric antibiotic treatment – Many patients
with the infections mentioned above come to the doctor expecting an antibiotic. Many doctors don’t take the time to investigate the infection and treat empirically (without testing on the assumption that it is probably bacterial). A recent study of chronic sinus infections in over 200,000 patients with a CT scan of the sinuses and a scoping of the nose revealed that 60 % of the patients did not have sinusitis at all – despite having symptoms that suggested that they did. Urinary tract infections, flu, bronchitis, and the common cold are further examples of disease processes that are treated empirically with antibiotics. Ask the doctor if he/ she is sure that your problem is caused by a bacterium before taking the prescription offered. Be part of the answer – not part of the problem. Help keep the antibiotics – that are effective – working for all of us by limiting your use of antibiotics to when they are truly needed.
32 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
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restaurants & wine Keeping Up With the Rosés
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May 2012 Events at The Weinhaus
A SHORT AND SWEET NOTE ABOUT NOT-SO-SWEET PINK DELIGHT
lucked up and got to lock up the restaurant even earlier than anticipated. There was a semi-late wine-sippin’ sendoff for a respected local wine guy that I was anxious to attend. As often happens in situations like this, those who do not work in restaurants get to arrive on time – even fashionably late is considerably earlier, and by the time the service industry guy gets there, they are well on their way. It is easy at this point to play a game called “Catch-Up,” and that can be a dangerous game. It’s funny how important that first glass can seem to be when everyone seems “ahead.” You arrive and experience the adult
8th Annual Wine Auction + Gala Dinner Saturday, May 12 Asheville Art Museum Gets Better With Age. Black Tie Optional; 6 p.m. Cocktail Hour; 7:30 Dinner; 8:30 Live Auction. For ticket information call (828) 2533227 ext. 123, or email khamilton@ ashevilleart.org. More details at www.ashevilleart. org. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square, downtown Asheville.
Thursday, May 17 BY
MICHAEL PARKER
is for sipping – a little goes a long way. If you break it apart, you think of raspberries, peaches, and maybe even a whiff of anise. Can a rosé be noble? Yes.
Even cheers and requests for autographs do not outweigh the importance of glass-in-hand.
Leverano Rosato, Puglia 2011 ($10) Wine
version of that left-behind feeling, the one you got when it was recess and you had to stay behind for the longest five minutes of your life. Add five more eternal minutes to the adult version – hugs, hellos, how-areyous. Even cheers and requests for autographs do not outweigh the importance of glass-in-hand. I have found it works to be blunt and say, “Sorry, I need to unwind. If I don’t get my glass, I’ll lose my mind.” It isn’t about being an alcoholic, it’s about how tightly the restaurant industry regularly winds its workers. We have to chill, and pleasuring the buds is a sure thing. Please be patient. It wasn’t a particularly warm night, and the red handed to me was rich and wonderful, but it was the wrong wine. I needed substance, but I needed my thirst quenched as well. I was craving good rosé.
Château d’Oupia, Minervois Rosé 2011
($12) Mission accomplished. This has a pleasing, thirst-quenching level of acidity. Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault from vines that are over 30 years old are the blend of this complex, well-structured wine. The nuance is more cranberry than strawberry, making it rather manly for a stereotypically feminine wine.
Domaine les Grands Bois, Cotes du Rhone Rosé, Les Trois Soeurs 2011 ($15) Silky on the tongue and floral in the nose, this wine
has been produced in Puglia, southern Italy, for over 4000 years. It is a region where food is more rustic, more real. Likewise, I have always been charmed by the not-exactly fine wine of this region. This pleasant pink is a blend of Malvasia Nera and Negroamaro, with an impression of sweetness. This is a good alternative, a good move-over-to pink for drinkers who always seek refuge in White Zinfandel.
Tavel – First, to say Tavel is to say rosé. It
is redundant to say “Tavel rosé.” It is not the name of a winery nor is it a translation. Only pink wine may boast a label that says Tavel. In the southern Rhone is this region, where they grow Grenache and Cinsault for very dry wine. It should also be drunk fresh, meaning generally not older than two years. I always think the second year is better because there has been time for complexities to develop. Trust your local wine retailer to stock a good one for you. Then again, it is also a little redundant to say “good Tavel.”
The Flat Rock Tailgate Market Grand Re-Opening Thursday, May 3 from 3-6 p.m. in the parking area behind the Cherry Cottage and next to Hubba Hubba Smoke House in Flat Rock. Open every Thursday through October.
Riedel Wine Glass Tasting. Have you ever wondered how much of a difference the glass makes when tasting particular wines? Here is your opportunity to experiment! We will have five different shapes of Riedel stemware with the servings of the appropriate wine for each glass. Promotional pricing will be offered during the event. Join us for a fun and informative evening beginning at 6 p.m. at the Weinhaus. Price: $25. Please call (828) 254-6453 for reservations.
Tuesday, May 22 Join us for a wine dinner at Chef Mo’s. Chef-Owner Mauricio Abreu always creates an evening of culinary wonder. Join us in his private dining room for a five course feast. Chef Mo is proficient in a wide range of culinary styles. We look forward to his upcoming creations. Event begins at 7 p.m. Price: $65 all inclusive. Call the Weinhaus for reservations at (828) 254-6453.
Friday, May 25 Friday Night flights presents Reds, Whites, and Blues. In honor of Memorial Day weekend, we offer a patriotic theme. In the glass we will have an all American lineup of both white and red wines. On the stereo we will have the blues. Come get your holiday rolling with us. The wine will be accompanied by light hors d’ouvres. The price is $10. Tasting held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Weinhaus.
The Weinhaus, 86 Patton Avenue Asheville, NC (828) 254-6453
Great values & styles FREE Wine Tastings on Saturdays from 2 to 5 p.m. Tasting wine is not only fun, but it presents a chance to learn about wine and what it is about a particular wine that you like, or don’t like. You can sip while you shop. Find some new favorites — try it before you buy it. We will usually have a few whites and a few reds open, with the occassional guest speaker. Please stop by!
Wine Retail
~
Tastings ~ Wine Classes
Great wines for any occasion and budget.
www.theAshevilleWineGuy.com 555 Merrimon Ave. (828) 254-6500 Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 33
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what to do guide Asheville Animal Rights Reading Group Every fourth Saturday of the month at 1 p.m. Firestorm Books and Cafe. Contact Wendy at simkha@riseup.net or (828) 667-8148.
May 4 and 5
Womansong CD Release Celebration Concert I Will Carry You, Songs of Comfort and Healing at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, One Edwin Place, Asheville, 7:30 p.m. Tickets $10, Children $5. For more information, call (828) 686-9010 or visit www.womansong.org.
May 4-6
French Broad River Festival 15th annual festival celebrates the river with music, outdoor events including whitewater raft and mountain bike races, food, outdoor gear and prizes, kids village and more at the Hot Springs Campground & Spa. Festival begins at 4 p.m on Friday, May 5 and ends Sunday, May 6. Tickets are $80, available online or at the gate. Visit www.FrenchBroadRiverFestival.com for details or call (828) 230-4054.
Saturday, May 5
Blue Ridge Orchestra Performance The Blue Ridge Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Milton Crotts, will present a pops concert featuring
Summer
Music in Flat Rock Free outdoor concerts held in Flat Rock on Little Rainbow Row’s back Terry Wetton deck, corner of Greenville Hwy. and West Blue Ridge Road on the first Saturday of the month through October. Concerts begin at 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 5 – Terry Wetton June 2 – Annie Lalley and Joe Ebel
This is a casual, family oriented, bring-your-lawn-chair, outdoor event, weather permitting. Great food and beverages will be available from Flat Rock Village Bakery (pizzas) and Hubba Hubba Smokehouse (BBQ). For further information, call Hand in Hand Gallery at (828) 697-7719 or visit www.flatrockonline.com. selections from the Phantom of the Opera, the musical Chicago, and other Broadway tunes. 7:30 p.m. at the White Horse in Black Mountain. Details at www.blueridgeorchestra.org. Tickets are $15 adults; $5 student, available at whitehorseblackmountain@gmail.com.
Saturday, May 5
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.
Turtle Gliding Mommie, Stay with Me is written by Cindy McFee Brown and illustrated by Micki Parker Sanford. Turtle Gliding is written by Denise Owen and illustrated by Jo Wicker. Meet the author and illustrators from 1 to 3 p.m. at Grateful Steps Publishing House & Bookshop, 159 S. Lexington Avenue, Asheville.
Sunday, May 6
2nd Annual Big Love Fest Celebrating unchained and independent Asheville. Asheville FM Stage: The Cheeksters, Wooden Toothe, The Critters, John Wilkes Boothe & The Black Toothe. Main Stage: Decent Lovers, Shake it Like a Caveman, Kovacs & the Polar Bear, Pleasure Chest, The Moodees, Floating Action. Big Love Fest, Pack Square Park, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. www.loveasheville.org.
Sunday, May 6
Celebration Singers of Asheville Spring Concert Supercali-Celebration! concert begins at 4 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Christ, 20 Oak St., downtown Asheville. The youth chorus will sing a variety of music beginning with a selection from John Rutter’s Mass For The Children, two gospel songs,
folksongs from Italy and South Africa, ending with a medley from Mary Poppins. No admission charge, donations accepted at the door. For details call Ginger Haselden (828) 230-5778.
Sunday, May 6
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Sunday, May 13
Mother’s Day Greek Luncheon & Bake Sale
Reuter Center Singers perform songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber including “Cats,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Evita,” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The concert, which is free and open to the public, takes place at 3 p.m. in UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center.
Friday, May 11
Tuesday, May 15
Téada With lush orchestration Téada revels in the vibrant, traditional music of Ireland. Joining Téada is accordion player and quintessential Irish musician, Séamus Begley Séamus Begley. Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place, 8 p.m. Regular $30; Student $25; Children 12 and under $12; Student Rush day-ofthe-show $10. Tickets/Info: (828) 2574530 or online at www.dwtheatre.com.
Saturday, May 12
Strawberry Fest Country Breakfast, 7:30-10:45. BBQ Chicken Lunch, 11:30-1:30. Music, lots of vendors, strawberry smoothies, shortcake, face painting and other activities. Come enjoy the cool wonderful mountain air and friendship. Bright Hope Laurel Methodist Church, I-26W exit 3, follow signs.
Saturday, May 12
Hendersonville Chorale Hendersonville Chorale presents “IPod Shuffle” 3 p.m. at the First Baptist Church on 5th Washington in Hendersonville. Tickets are $15 or $10 each for a group of 10 or more. Contact Jane Ward (828) 674-4161.
Saturday, May 12
Appalachian Pastel Society Meeting From 10 a.m. to noon with a free presentation by Peggy Taylor, “Color Theory Made Fun and Real.” Continuing workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. Workshop fee: $45 members/$55 non-members. WNC Ag Center, Youth Building, Fletcher, NC. For more information visit www.appalachianpastelsociety. org or call Miriam Hughes at (610) 389-0058.
Saturday, May 12
Family Birding Hike An in-depth look at our local and migratory species of songbirds at the Cradle of Forestry at 8:30 a.m. Join a walk on our paved trails to find and identify as many species as possible.
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Cafeteria Style with a variety of Greek Gourmet dishes. Greek folk dance troop will perform. At the Hellenic Center of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 227 Cumberland Ave. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call the church office at (828) 253-3754 between 9 a.m and 1 p.m. to place your order, or the Hellenic Center at (828) 254-7424 the day of the luncheon.
Tell Me on a Sunday
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Saturday, May 19
Black Mountain Garden Show and Sale The 7th Annual Show and Sale will be held from 9-4 on the grounds of the Monte Vista Hotel, 308 W. State St. in Black Mountain. Perennials, annuals, herbs, vegetable plants, native trees, shrubs and garden accessories. There will be children’s activities (1-3 p.m.), a silent auction, and great food. Free event.
Thursday, May 24
The Teetotallers
Asheville Quilt Guild Meeting Prize-winning quilter Betty Suiter speaks on Applique, Stitched By Hand, 10 a.m., Folk Art Center, Milepost 382, Blue Ridge Parkway. www.ashevillequiltguild.org, (828) 665-6786.
Doyle
May 15-16
Auditions for Good Old Fashioned Variety Show Calling all singers, dancers, jugglers, musicians, and comedians! Asheville Community Theatre is producing a variety show. Anyone age 18+ is welcome to audition. Winners receive cash prizes! The show will be performed on July 14 as a part of DramaRama, ACT’s fundraising event. Please visit www. ashevilletheatre.org for entry requirements and more information.
Thursday, May 17
Celebrating 50,000 Acres - For You, Forever Live music by the April Fools Old-Time String Band, local food, and more from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Highland Brewing Company, Asheville. $25, includes food, music and a beverage. Details at www.appalachian.org or www.highlandbrewing.com.
Friday & Saturday, May 18 & 19
Annual Book Sale Thousands of good-condition used books on sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place. For more information call (828) 254-6001.
Saturday, May 19
Nobody Knows You Album Release Concert A release party for the Steep Canyon Ranger’s 5th album. Held at Pisgah Brewing Company in Black Mountain. Steep Canyon Rangers take the stage at 8 p.m. Tickets available at www. pisgahbrewing.com.
Crawford
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Marvel at the sound of three world-class musicians when The Teetotallers, featuring John Doyle, Martin Hayes, and Kevin Crawford, delight Asheville with a rare triple threat evening of their combined talents. Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place, 8 p.m. Regular $30; Student $25; Children 12 and under $12; Student Rush day-of-the-show $10. (828) 257-4530 or www.dwtheatre.com
Friday, May 25
Ironing Board Sam! Blues Ramble Ironing Board Sam performs at the historical Grace Hall Ballroom, downtown Greer, SC. www.musicmaker.org/artists_profile/ironing-board-sam.
Thursday, May 31
Dine Out for All Souls Counseling Center In honor of Mental Health Awareness, Bistro 1896 is partnering with All Souls Counseling Center to raise awareness and funds for the center. On May 31, Bistro 1896 will donate 20% of revenue from their lunch and dinner hours to the center. Dine out between the hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for lunch, or 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner. By treating yourself to a meal out you are supporting affordable mental health services for people in need. Call Bistro 1896 for reservations at (828) 251-1300.
Thursday, June 7
Divergent Visions The Bender Gallery will host an opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. for the exhibition “Divergent Visions: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of American Studio Glass.” New works made by over twenty five regional and national as well as Canadian glass artists will be on display. The Bender Gallery, 12 S Lexington Avenue in Asheville. For more details call (828) 505-8341 or visit www.thebendergallery.com.
MAY EVENTS ~ ANNOUNCEMENTS ~ OPENINGS ~ SALES 34 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
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Best in Show
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Sunday, May 6 from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Piano with the
Heather Masterton Quartet at Barley’s Taproom, 42 Biltmore Ave. Asheville.
Sundays, May 6, 13, 20, 27. Music at the Center
for Spiritual Living, 2 Science of Mind Way, Asheville. (828) 253-2325.
Callie & Cats
by Amy Downs
Missing Your Creative Spark?
The next free concert of the Maggie Valley Concert Series will be held on June 17. For more details call Rhonda Wilson Kram at (828) 456-4880, or visit www. haywoodcommunityband.org
Perhaps it is time to strengthen your connection with Creative Source. Time to reconnect with the wellspring of innovation that lies deep within you. Join an intensive weekend workshop devoted to your creativity May 4-6. Experience a series of guided meditations. Gently expand your ability to tap into deeper creative sources. Interpret and express your experiences using provided art materials.
Friday & Saturday, June 1 & 2
La Fille Mal Gardee 2012!
Friday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 2 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Call Diana Wortham Theatre at (828) 257-4530 or visit www.dwtheatre.com to reserve your tickets. Adults, $20; Children, Students & Seniors, $10. For more details call (828) 255-5777, BalletConservatoryofAsheville.com.
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Thursdays, May 3, 10, 17, 31 from 8 to 11 p.m. On
Sunday, May 20 “Our Favorites”
Ballet Conservatory of Asheville presents La Fille Mal Gardee — the Wayward Daughter, embodies the freshness of young love, ample good humor, and the delightful warmth of a new summer day. One of the most wonderful ballet scores of all time makes for a family-friendly evening.
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The Haywood Community Band will present its 10th Season of free concerts on the third Sunday of each month, May through October. Concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. at the pavilion adjacent to the Maggie Valley Town Hall. – Music from Phantom of the Opera, Falling in Love with Love, and Symphonic Beatles. Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy a beautiful Maggie Valley Sunset.
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by Phil Hawkins
Non-artists welcome! Twenty five minutes west of Asheville. Read the full workshop description at www.TheQuietHouse.com.
Free Documentary Film Screenings Saturday, May 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. – The Marketing
of Madness: Are We All Insane? Exposes the harmful effects of psychiatric drugs. Haywood County Main Library in Waynesville, 678 South Haywood Street, (828) 452-5169, www.haywoodlibrary.org. Visit www.cchr.org
Saturday, May 12 at 7 p.m. – An Alternative, Finn-
Dragin
by Michael Cole
ish Approach to Healing Psychosis. Firestorm Cafe and Books, 48 Commerce Street, Asheville. (828) 255-8115, www.iraresoul.com.
Thursday, May 17 at 5 p.m. – A Documentary: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual; Psychiatry's Deadliest Scam. It’s 943 pages long, lists out 374 mental disorders. Canton Branch Library, 11 Pennsylvania Ave. (828) 648-2924, www.haywoodlibrary.org.
Lichty Guitar Raffle Specially handcrafted by Jay Lichty and handpainted by Clark Hipolito. Raffle tickets, $10. Winner announced at October LEAF. North Carolina luthier Jay Lichty builds heirloom quality one-ofa-kind handmade acoustic guitars and ukuleles. Value $5,000. NC artist Clark Hipolito has made custom painted guitars for musicians like Michael Franti. Buy your Raffle Ticket Today! All proceeds benefit LEAF Outreach Programs, (828) 686-8742. Visit www.theLEAF.org.
Wednesday, May 30 at 7 p.m. – Healing Homes:
An Alternative, Swedish Model for Healing Psychosis. Wall Street Coffee House, 62 Wall St., downtown Asheville. Call (828) 252-2535, or visit www.wallstreetcoffeehouse.webs.com.
Smoky Mountain Brass Band Concerts Ratchet and Spin
by T. Oder and R. Woods
The thirty-member band and conductor John Entzi will perform a variety of musical styles, from Marches to Classical and Classic British Brass Band repertoire, to Jazz, Pops and Hymn tunes. Concerts are free to the public with a free will offering taken.
Saturday, June 2 at 2 p.m. Picnic on the Lawn, Haywood Co. Courthouse in Waynesville.
Enter Rapid River Magazine’s 2D Art Contest. 20 Winners! Deadline is May 20. Details on page 27 and at www.rapidrivermagazine.com
Tuesday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. Mars Hill College
Auditorium. Usher in Independence Day a bit early, and in “Brass-Band style!” For more information call (828) 551-6839 or visit www.smbrass.com www.jackiewoods.org • Copyright 2012 Adawehi Press
CLASSES ~ AUDITIONS ~ ARTS & CRAFTS ~ READINGS Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 35
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find it here Alan Deutsch Photography alandeutschphotography.com
BlackBird Frame & Art www.blackbirdframe.com
Altamont Theatre www.myaltamont.com
Bogart’s Restaurant www.bogartswaynesville.com
Amici Music www.amicimusic.org
Burgermeister’s www.burgermeisters.com
Asheville Lyric Opera www.ashevillelyric.org
The Chocolate Fetish www.chocolatefetish.com
Asheville Symphony www.ashevillesymphony.org
The Chocolate Bear www.thechocolatebears.com
Ballet Conservatory of Asheville
BalletConservatoryofAsheville.com
Cornerstone Cafe (828) 452-4252
Beads and Beyond (828) 254-7927
Diana Wortham Theatre www.dwtheatre.com
Bistro 1896 www.bistro1896.com
E-A-S-T Arts www.eaststudiotour.com
The Fine Arts League of the Carolinas www.fineartsleague.org Double Exposure Giclee Fine Art Printmaking www.doubleexposureart.com Frame It To a T www.frameittoat.com Frugal Framer www.frugalframer.com Gallery Two Six Two www.gallerytwosixtwo.com Great Smokies Creations (828) 452-4757 Great Trade Solutions www.greattradesolutions.com Great Tree Zen Temple www.greattreetemple.org
Karmasonics (828) 259-9949
SIGNARAMA www.wncsigns.com
Kenilworth Studio Tour www.kenilworthartists.org
Southern Highland Craft Guild www.craftguild.org
La Carreta Mexican Restaurant (828) 225-4600
Studio B www.galleryatstudiob.com
Luke Atkinson Furniture lukeatkinsonfurniture.com
Susan Marie Designs (828) 277-1272
Malaprops Bookstore/Cafe www.malaprops.com
Van Dyke Jewelry www.vandykejewelry.com
Magnetic Field www.themagneticfield.com
The Wine Guy www.theashevillewineguy.com
Mangum Pottery www.mangumpottery.com
Woolworth Walk www.woolworthwalk.com
Mellow Mushroom (828) 236-9800
WNC Community Credit Union www.wncccu.org
Daniel McClendon Fine Art www.danielmc.com Neo Cantina www.neocantina.com
Green Light Cafe (828) 250-3800 Guild Crafts www.craftguild.org The Guitar Trader www.ashevilleguitartrader.com Jack of Hearts Pub & Restaurant www.jackofheartspub.com
The New York Studio of Stage and Screen www.nys3.com North Carolina Stage Company www.ncstage.org P.H. Best Fine Art www.mountainbrushworks.com
Jewels That Dance www.jewelsthatdance.com
Riverside Studios riversidestudios-asheville.com
Place Your Classified Ad on www.RapidRiverMagazine.com Low Weekly & Monthly Rates
WEAVERVILLE
VC VA
Upcoming Issues
June 2012
River Arts District
July 2012
Summer Fun Issue VB
Call (828) 646-0071 Reduced Rates • Web Banners
www.rapidrivermagazine.com
DOWNTOWN BILTMORE AVE. WAYNESVILLE, N. MAIN ST. WA
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GET ON THE MAP, CALL
(828) 646-0071
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asheville shops GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION
WNC Community Credit Union 27 Kent Lane Waynesville, NC 28786 (828) 456-1840 www.wncccu.org
The WNC Community Credit Union is opening an office in Waynesville this month. Randall Crawford, the non-profit’s CEO, along with the staff, invite the community to stop by on Saturday, May 5 from 10 a.m until 1 p.m. Anyone who lives or works in Haywood or Jackson County is eligible for membership at WNC Community Credit Union. Contact the organizations loan officers, Brady, Melissa, or Tammy, for details on low cost loans. You’ll hear about great loan rates on vehicles and homes. Come meet the friendly staff where service has true meaning. This could be a good time to transfer your account to an institution that treats you the way you deserve.
investing in the souls of our city
• Awesome Desserts • Delicious Snacks • 23 Bottled Sodas • Mocktails • Full Espresso Bar
Creatures Café Alcohol-Free Music Venue and Café
Featuring: • Live Entertainment • Amazing Desserts • An Inspiring Art Gallery
81 Patton Ave., Asheville
Hours: Tues-Thurs, 5:30pm-12am Fri & Sat, 5:30pm-3am Creatures Cafe is a non-profit organization 501 (c)(3) ein 26-0245324
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828-254-3636 www.creaturescafe.com
Photos courtesy of Monzingo Photography
Bring in this Ad and We’ll Take
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Vol. 15, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2012 37
Guided Fly Fishing Trips
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Waynesville Fly Shop 168 S. Main St. 828.246.0306
www.waynesvilleflyshop.com
Saturday, May 5
Gala Grand Opening
Paninis Salads Soups Desserts Seasonal Drinks
10 AM until
1 PM
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Limited Delivery ~ Call for Details
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Thank You for Voting Us #1
THE OCTOPUS
GARDEN SMOKE SHOP
The Finest Assortment of Chocolates, Candies, and Custom Gift Baskets for Mother’s Day
4OBACCO !CCESSORIES (OOKAHS ,OCAL (ANDBLOWN 'LASS -ORE ASHEVILLE 1269 TUNNEL RD. SUITE B 299-8880 660 MERRIMON AVE. 253-2883 1062 PATTON AVE. .................232-6030 80 N. LEXINGTON AVE....... 254-4980
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ARDEN
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38 May 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 9
828.452.6844
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www.GreenLightCafe.com
18 N. Lexington Ave. Downtown Asheville (828) 250-3800
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85 Muse Business Park Your Local
OUTLET
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for Frames, Mats, and much more!
Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone: 828-452-4757 :: Fax: 828-452-4758 E-mail: orders@gscframing.com
greatsmokiescreations.blogspot.com
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