Rrm june 2016 final file 13 by Rapid River Magazine

SUMMER ART GUIDE:

Where to go to Find Great Art In WNC

ARTS & CULTURE RAPID RIVER MAGAZINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

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JUNE 2016 Vol. 19 No. 10

THE OLDEST AND MOST READ ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE IN WNC

2 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016

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Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 3

JUNE ARTIST

Richard Baker A Painters Tale

“I take the road unknown - to where it turns to dirt, passes up and over mountain gaps, follows creeks and rivers. I look for reflections of mountains in a clear lake. I chase ridgelines to see for miles. I seek old barns and forgotten cabins. I study morning mist rising. I am moved by sunlight and cloud shadows passing over spurs, in looking between old trees, in finding meadows, balds and cliffs in all of their Appalachian glory. I’m humbled by landscapes found high and low. I render what I see, color it on canvas and paper. I live from this land. I paint! —Richard Baker (Richard Baker Studios is located in the River Arts District at 344 Depot Street, Suite 102, Asheville. Visit the website at www.richardbakersstudio.com.)

“We continue to be thrilled with the excellent service and magnificent frames that we get from BlackBird. They are a pleasure to work with, and make it a very easy and fun process for us.” —Margie and Rich Kluska, Asheville

WNC’S LARGEST SELECTION & MOST EXPERIENCED STAFF

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365 Merrimon Ave • 225.3117 • blackbirdframe.com

CONTENTS 22 June 2016

Seven Sister’s Gallery

REVIEWS

COLUMNS/ DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

Queen of the Road Oil. 23 X 28 by Billy Edd Wheeler

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Volume 19, NO. 10

River Arts District: “Breaking Rad” Hendersonville Asheville Gallery of Art Downtown Asheville

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Drinks and Dining Interview with writer John Hart Waynesville

ON OUR COVER Billy Edd Wheeler

WebExclusives Only on www.rapidrivermagazine.com

Black Mountain “Reel Takes” Film Reviews for June with Michelle Keenan and Chip Kaufmann

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Theatre Fine Art Cover Story Philosophy

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Get the latest Calender infomation of the hottest most fun and interactive things to do this June in our “What To Do Guide” now only online

Poetry Health

“The 48 Hour Film Project” comes to Asheville again this June 17-19

Odds and Ends Art Classes

Author Interview with Danny Bernstein on her latest hiking book: The Mountains-toSea Trail Across North Carolina A look at Kieth Flynn’s latest book Colony Collapse Disorder. The poems in this book are built in a circular fashion like a Mayan calendar, its architecture and interconnected narrative have a hive mind, with each poem connected to the poem in front and behind it by a theme, an image, or a single word.

Performing Arts Spinning Discs Live Music

Publisher/Layout and Design/Editor: Dennis Ray Proofreader: Michelle Crosby Newmeyer Poetry Editor: Carol Pearce Bjorlie

Distribution: Dennis Ray/Rick Hills Marketing: Dennis Ray/Rick Hills

CONTACT US: Rapid River Arts and Culture Magazine is a monthly publication in WNC. Mail: 85 N. Main St. Canton NC 28716 Email: Info@rapidrivermagazine.com Phone: (828) 646-0071

ADVERTISING SALES: Downtown Asheville and other areas — Dennis Ray (828) 712-4752 • (828) 646-0071 Dining Guide, Hendersonville, Waynesville — Rick Hills (828) 452-0228

All Materials contained herein are owned and copyrighted © by Rapid River Arts and Culture Magazine and the individual contributors unless otherwise stated. Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rapid River Arts and Culture Magazine or the advertisers herein. © Rapid River Arts and Culture Magazine June 2016, Vol. 19, No. 10

Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 5

PERFORMING ARTS

Drumming Nights 5th Annual Percussion Festival

Please join Asheville Rhythm for their Fifth Annual Asheville Percussion Festival on June 17-19. This year’s festival line-up includes NYC-based drummer and composer Allison Miller, Ani DeFranco, Portuguese World Music Hand Pan artist Kabeção, Vicki Genfan, who has showcased as one of the world’s top percussive guitarists multi-percussionist extraordinaire David Kuckhermann, MO’RHYTHM, Monette Marino, dancer Barakissa Coulibaly and the founder of the festival, Asheville’s own rhythm ambassador River Guerguerian. Local songstress extraordinaire Kat Williams will be sharing her soulful talents as the Masters Concert vocalist. The festival will include a wide variety of hands-on workshops, such as Middle Eastern Drumming, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban Rhythms, The Art of Frame Drumming and Drumset and Rhythms of Indian Dance to name a

By Staff Reports

Allison Miller few. The festival will also feature a series of wellness workshops sponsored by Four Seasons Compassion for Life, Conscious Drumming, Introduction to the Role of a Music Therapist, and Music Therapy and Songs. Other events of interest include Friday night community drumming around the fire and a Sunday morning Sound Meditation. Workshops are for all levels, beginners through advanced and those who are just curious about percussion and want to learn while having fun.

The Masters Concert, featuring the musical collaborations of the visiting residency artists, will be held on Saturday June 18, 8pm at the Diana Wortham Theatre. There will be vendors throughout the weekend displaying and selling an eclectic array of percussion instruments and delicious local foods. This project is funded in part by the GRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM of the NC Arts Council, A division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources through the Asheville Area Arts Council. IF YOU GO

Fifth Annual Asheville Percussion Festival on June 17-19, 2016 at the Odyssey Community School, 90 Zillicoa St. among the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains in Asheville Tickets are available for day passes or weekend passes and range from $20-$120. For more information and to purchase tickets online please visit: www.AshevilleRhythm.org

Brief Encounters New Voices of 2016

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Tailor-made for adventurous short attention spans, the fourth installment of The Magnetic’s new work showcase, Brief Encounters: New Magnetic Voices 2016, will premiere five new short plays by local WNC writers this June. “In previous years we’ve usually done six, but this year we have a few plays that run longer than your average 10-minute play, so five made for a nicely balanced evening of new work,” says The Magnetic’s managing and associate artistic director Lucia Del Vecchio. Also markedly different than the 2015 production, which showcased work from submissions received nationwide, this year’s production is focused exclusively on local writing talent. “We hope that this year’s installment of Brief Encounters shows just how much theatrical writing talent we have locally in WNC. It is increasingly difficult for burgeoning playwrights to get a chance to see

By Staff Reports

their work onstage, and there can be no growth without productions. Brief Encounters truly encapsulates our mission to promote and produce new work for the stage.” said The Magnetic’s artistic director Steven Samuels. The evening of work will range from the comedic to the tragic, exploring the relationships between parents and children, aging and death, as well as truth and illusion. The Magnetic Theatre presents Brief Encounters: New Magnetic Voices 2016, featuring works by Devin Brady, Cody Magouirk, Cliff Yudell, Adam Arthur, and Peter Lundblad. At Magnetic 375 (375 Depot Street in the River Arts District), June 4-25, Thursdays-Saturdays, at 7:30 PM (tickets $21 online/$24 at the door), with low-priced previews June 2 and 3 ($16/$19). $10 student rush tickets available, with ID, 15 minutes before each performance. Tickets available online (at www.themagnetictheatre.org) or at the door. Information only: 828.239.9250. IF YOU GO

THEATRE

‘La Cage Aux Folles’ Opens in June at ACT

For the first time in its 70 year history, Asheville Community Theatre will present the musical La Cage Aux Folles, the Tony-award winning musical on which Robin Williams’ hit movie The Birdcage was based. A musical that celebrates love, family, and loyalty while encouraging everyone to say “I am what I am,” La Cage Aux Folles is one of the most popular and successful community theatre musicals in Broadway history. After 20 years of un-wedded bliss Georges and Albin, two men partnered for better-or-worse are shocked when Georges’ son announces his engagement to the daughter of a conservative politician. Because Georges and Albin run a drag nightclub, a complicated situation unfolds: Georges agrees to cover up the “family business” but Albin has other plans. Jerry Crouch will direct La Cage

By Staff Reports

orchestra. This was right after this musical swept the Tony awards winning Best Musical, Best Book, Best Director, and Best Actor. “Even though La Cage was everything and more a big-hearted, splashy, glitzy musical should be — romantic couples, flashy costumes and dazzling dances – at its heart, the show is really about maintaining family ties and courageously living your own authentic life,” continued Crouch. ACT’s production of La Cage Aux Folles Coy Theobalt (left) and Bradshaw Call stars Bradshaw Call (The Addams Family, Guys and Dolls) as Albin opposite Aux Folles. “When I was sitting in Coy Theobalt as Georges. They are the Broadway audience in July 1984, joined onstage by a cast of 20, which I never dreamed I would get a chance includes many ACT veterans as well as to direct this show,” said Crouch. “I newcomers. breathlessly watched from the fifth row “If one person, who feels that he or

she cannot be who they are meant to be, who God created them to be, an intricate part of this tapestry of humankind, if that one person leaves the theatre thinking better of themselves and can say ‘I am what I am!’ that will truly be the best reaction I could ever hope for,” said Call. IF YOU GO

What: La Cage Aux Folles; Book by Harvey Fierstein; Lyrics and Music by Jerry Herman Who: Directed by Jerry Crouch with musical direction by Stuart Littleton and choreography by Shari Azar When: June 3-26, Fri. and Sat. 7:30pm, Sun. 2:30 pm Where: Asheville Community Theatre, 35 East Walnut St., Asheville Tickets: $25 Adults, $22 Seniors/ Students, $15 Children Contact: (828) 254.1320 www.ashevilletheatre.org

‘Legally Blonde:The Musical’

Now showing through June 12 Legally Blonde: the Musical is based on the popular 2001 film which made a star of Reese Witherspoon as the quintessential sorority girl, Elle Woods. The musical goes one step further with show stopper numbers that will bring you to your feet. Elle enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. She discovers how her knowledge of the law can help others, and successfully defends exercise queen Brooke Wyndham in a murder trial. Throughout the show no one has faith in Elle but she manages to surprise them when she defies expectations while staying true to herself. The musical opened on Broadway in April 2007 and became an instant hit being nominated for seven Tony

By Staff Reports

To make reservations call the box office (828) 456-6322, Tues.-Sat.15pm or www.harttheatre.org.

Awards and three Olivier Awards for the London production, winning Best Musical in London. The show ran for nearly 600 performances in New York and then toured for over three years.

IF YOU GO

Legally Blonde will have performances June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 at 7:30pm and May 22, 29, June 5 & 12 at 2pm. Special discount tickets are available for the Thursday performances and special discount tickets are also available for all performances for students. HART Theatre: 250 Pigeon St. in downtown Waynesville. Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 7

FINE ART

The Art of Creating Remembering Life As It’s Happening

It’s hard to maintain personal focus during remember all art creation, as well as to garthe things we ner the attention of the masses forget. when one is then promoting and You know – selling. those seemIt’s important for me to do ingly munsome information-gathering dane, random about my actual daily experiencthoughts that es. So I asked myself:” What are “Things I Know” tend to happen some Things I Know?” 2016, illustration by in a flash, I know it’s a mind-blowing Greg Vineyard experience when I eat a really good moving through our minds like apple after a period of not eating water disappearapples. This never happens with ing down into a crack: here, and then bananas: I loathe them no matter how suddenly gone as the next bit roils on long it’s been. (Yet I like fried planthrough. We go about our days amongst tains. Go figure.) Converse-nutritionever-flowing ideas, awarenesses, sights, ally, I have the same happy experience sounds, scents and impressions in a with Jelly-Bellys: savoring their 49 continual, internal reactionary buzz, flavors one jelly bean at a time while and then with another tick of the clock watching sci-fi indoors on a sunny or the turning of a corner or opening of afternoon is a highly underrated expea door we’re amidst whatever’s next. rience. It can take a lot of effort to gain and A non-food example – though still in the kitchen – is that I’m always glad in the morning if I did all the dishes the night before. You know the opposite feeling when you walk into the kitchen early, all bleary-eyed, thinking “I need to feed the cat,” and “I need coffee,” and then you see the sink and think “WHY DIDN’T I DO THE DISHES LAST NIGHT? AAAUUUUGGGHHH!!!” OK, so that is very specifically autobiographical. But I’m trying to emphasize how big a little thing can be. And there is something very Zen about doing the dishes. And it’s a concept worth embracing, especially when one has only one choice.

By Greg Vinyard

I also know that my cat is pretty gosh-darn cute, even when he’s being a dork. Part of his obnoxiousness, mind you, is that when I pull out the camera, he stops doing whatever he was doing that was SO cute it was going to revolutionize how the world views cats on the internet. But he makes me laugh, anyway. Something about the way he pads across the floor toward me, with this look that says: “It is my mission to destroy you.” What is swirling around in our heads is a reflection of, well, everything we are, see and do in this great society. To me, realizing the impact of any little juncture – like how a stream of sunlight comes into my living room window at just this certain angle perpendicular to the striped pattern in the carpet, how it feels like light and fiber are having a conversation — reminds me how easily and inadvertently I can miss or dismiss observations during the rush of life. It’s paradoxical that we sometimes need to slow way down in order to gain information we need in order to keep up. These life-captures, these snapshots of the little things, how they feel when I’m paying attention, they’re crucial because they inform my art. And it’s circular. My drawings remind me to keep seeking-out and noticing these events. At this time, a squirrel and bird sound like they’re having a discussion in the front yard. The way I stacked my Dad’s books has a pattern I didn’t notice until I sat in this chair over on this side of the room. The air this morning seems to have a shimmering in it much like that old TV snow-pattern. These observances are in endless supply if we’re paying attention. And somewhere in all this noticing, I need to regularly enter the studio so I can put these bits and flashes onto paper, and capture the elements of a life I’m pretty grateful for. After I finish the dishes. Greg Vineyard is a marketing-communications professional, and an artist and writer living in Asheville, ZaPOW Gallery carries his illustrations, prints and cards. www. gregvineyardillustration.com

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t.e. siewert's fine art

FINE ART

shines bright this june

Grace Church Gallery’s new exhibit called “environs” will feature paintings by local artist t.e. siewert. Siewert, who likes to use the small caps in her name and the titles of her works as an homage to a favorite poet, e.e. cummings, is known primarily for her luminous encaustic landscapes. Now she is also debuting a new series of abstract landscapes using cold wax and oil. The color palettes all include some use of Indian yellow, a new favorite for the artist. “I love the life it gives to the works even when used as a subtle hint,” she said. “The environs 3 light around us is constantly altering the way we see the world. These new works reflect that changing vision in both natural and cityscapes.” says Siewert. “The cityscapes include suggestions of surrounding sights, such as the paper mill in Canton, or the tall downtown buildings of Asheville, while the natural world is captured in the colors and movement of abstract trees and mountains. I like that people see what means something to them in an abstract. I can lead them in a certain direction with shapes, colors or a title, but I love to hear what they see that I don’t. It’s a wonderful surprise when that happens. One time a person found a wolf howling at an moon I had painted. I never saw it until they mentioned it.” siewert moved to Waynesville in 2011

By Staff Reports

seen in galleries in North Carolina and Tennessee and in private and corporate collections around the world. “environs” runs from May 1 through July 12th, 2016.

an indian summer to pursue a lifelong dream of being a full-time artist. She had been a Registered Nurse in Florida for 27 years, and raised five children. In 2004, she left nursing to become an entrepreneur in what would be a successful decorative finishing business in Orlando. A visit to Asheville in 2010 became a major turning point when she experienced encaustic for the first time. “Encaustic was my muse! I felt a strong pull both to a new artistic path for my life and to the mountains. It was the right decision.” Her work can be

More of t.e.’s work can be seen locally at Asheville Gallery of Art located at 82 Patton Avenue in Asheville, NC (across from Pritchard Park) and at Art on Depot, 250 Depot St. in Waynesville, NC.

Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 9

e or pl Ex

River Arts District

‘Breaking RAD’ with Katrina Chenevert

Katrina Chenevert, resident artist at 310 ART, has all the right stuff a successful artist needs – and more. She is dedicated, talented, tenacious, completely original and her imagination is always soaring. Before she is finished with one work, her mind is racing to the next project. The very extra special ingredient in this healthy mix of personal traits is an unstoppable sense of humor that makes us laugh out loud. From her uncannily realistic “Sepia Series” portraits to her new cutting edge sculptures, Chenevert’s art demands attention,

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By Staff Reports

provokes conversation and often generates some laughter. Her friends and family are quick to note Katrina has always been a talented and accomplished artist. It was after retiring from a 28 year Naval career and moving to Asheville, Chenevert embraced the booming Arts culture. Her insatiable desire to learn “all things art” was stimulated after discovering the River Arts District (RAD), home to over 200 studio artist. She joined the art scene first by attending classes at 310 ART taught by local professional artists and later when

inspired by old family photographs. It was one such image of her maternal grandmother and eight of her friends from the 1930’s that inspired her to create “Smoking Hot Women.” Although nostalgia often drives her to choose what image to paint, it was this composition and her ability to capture the expression and personality of these women during that moment in time that told “their story” and made this painting a hit. In fact, “Smoking Hot Women” was one of a small group of paintings selected from thousands of entries for exhibition in the 2016 American Watercolor Society’s 149th Annual International Exhibition held in NY City at the prestigious Salmagundi Club. When deciding how to capture the moment and Katrina Chenevert stands before her 3D art sediment of “Smoking Hot Women” “Iconic Decade” an interpretation of the 1960’s she chose to use the same sepia color palette as in the photograph. Her sole palette, made up of sepia and she enrolled as a Post-baccalaureate lamp black, doesn’t seem an exciting BFA student at UNCA in visual arts. palette to work with but the results are In 2015 she decided to join the ranks remarkable. The term “Labor of Love” of the artists in RAD. She rented a becomes an understatement when studio space in 310 ART, one of the creating these paintings and it is likely district’s oldest and most well-known that only one or two are completed studios. Here a new home away from each year making them both unique and home was found. The experience of precious. working in close proximity to so many The artist uses a local printmaking talented artists in the large building company to create giclee reproductions of the Riverview Station has proven of her sepia paintings for a limited invaluable and her artist within has editions available at 310 ART. The flourished. original of “Smoking Hot Women” is “I’m inspired daily by the talent that surrounds me both with the artists in the now in a private collection. Her ability to capture such tender moments of RAD and Art faculty at UNCA.” times long past established a string of Some of her most recent and notable commissions from people who also works include the “Sepia Series” of wanted their relative’s stories told watercolor portraits and her new 3D/ giving them a permanent presence in Assemblage canvas paintings. their homes. The “Sepia Series” are tightly “I’ve enjoyed hearing the many rendered (often described as stories from people visiting my studio photorealistic) watercolor paintings

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Shop, Eat, Explore. . . Everyday, All Year Round

“Smoking Hot Women” is now in a private collection. regarding their relatives that they wish to have me paint. After all, every picture tells a story, doesn’t it?” It was through a recent assemblage challenge in her BFA program that the conception of her most current work came about. As part of the assignment, she was given a list of renowned artists to research. After making her way down that long list she came upon Marisol Escobar. “Once I discovered her and her work I was genuinely inspired. There’s no way to put into words what the instant attraction was to her work but I fell in love with it.” With this new found passion and uncategorized style, Chenevert created what she describes as a humble rendition influenced by Marisol’s work. The first piece started with a 30” x 40” canvas and keeping within the parameters of the assignment, the assemblage came into play. In honor of her new found inspiration, she incorporated a wooden head (a 1960 portrait of Marisol) painted in Pop Art style, atop the vertical canvas with a painting of the infamous Jackie Kennedy’s pink dress. Completing this 3D painting is a wooden leg in a satin cloth shoe adorned with a vintage brooch. As a personal touch she added something significant from her past. For this painting it was the white gloves that she wore with her Navy dress uniform. She titled this painting “Iconic Decade” after the people (Marisol, Jackie Kennedy and Andy Warhol) who were so prominent to that decade. “I had so much fun creating this piece that my attention is now primarily focused on creating more of the same. We quip in my studio about my current piece featuring one of the main characters from the series Breaking Bad because somehow that translated into ‘Breaking RAD.’ All I can really tell you about this work in progress is that fans of that show will not be disappointed.” Chenevert can often be found in her working studio at 310 ART, Riverview Station, 191 Lyman Street, Studio #310, Asheville. See more of her work at the studio and at www.310art.com. 310 ART is opened Mon-Sat 11-5 and by appointment.

JOSEPH A. PEARSON Painter – Figures and Portraits RD

To place an ad on these ‘RAD’ pages please call Dennis Ray at (828) 646-0071

Pink Dog Creative, 348 Depot Street, Ste 120 RL

in the River Arts District • 504 615-4998

RP RG RJ RT

IF YOU GO

RN RD RL

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Six Art League of Henderson County Members Win Awards at Silver Arts Hendersonville

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Six Art League of Henderson County (ALHC) members were winners in the 2016 Four Seasons Silver Arts Competition. The Silver Arts Competition is part of the Senior Games held at the Henderson County Rec Center on South Grove Street. Member Maxine Tatreau won a 1st place ribbon for her watercolor painting “Moonlit Trees” and another 1st place ribbon for the mixed media painting “Moon-

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By Staff Reports

rise over the Lake”; Joan Engle received a 2nd place ribbon for her oil Group photo of winning artists and their painting Silver Arts award winners (L-R) Maxine “Hosta HaTatreau, Joan Engle, Jeanette Taws, Sharon ven”; JeanEng, Anne Kramer nette Taws won a 3rd place for her painting “Pretty Bird in Winter Woods”; Sharon Eng took home a 3rd place in mixed media for “Blooming Rhododendrons”; Anne Kramer received a 1st place ribbon for her acrylic painting “Tranquility,” as well as a 2nd place ribbon for another acrylic painting “Calm In The Morning”; and Marion Moore won a 1st place ribbon for her landscape oil painting, “Low Country Living.” All of the honored members are frequent contributors to the monthly member art competitions held ‘Silver’ continued on next pg. Handmade Fine Craft

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12 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016

fireflycraftgallery@gmail.com

2689 ‘D’ Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock, NC 28731

FESTIVALS

Things to do

North Main Music Series

This June in Hendersonville

Saturdays June - October 2016

By Staff Reports

RHYTHM & BREWS SUMMER CONCERT SERIES There are a lot of great things about Downtown Hendersonville’s Rhythm & Brews Concert Series...great music and great locally made beverages, but

Show times begin at 5pm with their singer-songwriter showcase, followed by their “Opening Act” at 6pm and “Headliners” at 7pm. This year’s headline acts are going to knock your socks off, mark your calendars. 2016 CONCERT DATES June 16 July 21 August 18 September 15 IF YOU GO

Rhythm & Brews Concert Series Lew Holloway: lholloway@hvlnc.gov (828) 233-3216.

the one element that has really begun to stand out is that is it one of best community social events in town. Whether you are the oldest member of our community or the youngest, this event caters to you with everything from reserved seating areas to HandsOn Kid Zone. Worried about a warm day… don’t, Pardee’s misting tent will help keep you cool when you work up a sweat. The shows are scheduled to run through September, taking place on the third Thursday of each month.

Antique and Vintage Show and Sale Looking for a great show in WNC? Well you’ve found it! Whether you are a picker or a seller, plan to visit Historic Downtown Hendersonville for another year of great buying and selling at WNC’s finest outdoor Antique and Vintage Show and Sale. ▪ One Day Only, Saturday June 25, ▪ 8-5pm ▪ Sidewalks of Main Street ▪ 1st Avenue to 6th Avenue ▪ Rain or Shine ▪ Fine Antiques to Shabby Chic

‘Silver’ continued and exhibited at the Opportunity House, 1411 Asheville Highway, Hendersonville. The paintings line the hallways of the Opportunity House throughout the month, and the public is welcome to stop by to view the exhibit during normal operating hours Monday through Friday. The ALHC was founded in 1960 with a mission to encourage and assist in the development of individual artistic talent, as well as the enjoyment of art. The organization honors this legacy by providing education grants to local schools and student artists, community outreach, and exhibitions and educational pro-

grams. The public and artists of all skill levels and “art lovers” are encouraged to attend and participate in meetings and programs. The Art League of Henderson County meets monthly on the second Sunday of each month (except May, when it will be the 3rd Sunday) at Opportunity House. A social hour usually begins around 1:30 p.m., with the meeting starting about 2 pm. An art-related presentation is offered following the meeting. Guests are welcome.

Saturday nights will come alive at the north end of Main Street with live music on Saturdays June 4 September 24. The North Main Music series runs every Saturday from 5-7:30pm on the patio at The Green Room Café, 536 North Main St. Sue and Ben Green, owners of the Green Room Café have a full line-up of entertainment outside every Saturday night (except during festivals). Their efforts are being supported by neighbor businesses who want to attract more people to the North end of Main Street to enjoy the café, shops, beautiful streetscapes and varied offerings. The Green Room Café, Mast General Store, Kilwins, All Nation’s Trading, Dad’s Collectibles, The Dish Girl, Silver Fox, Case Garden Designs, Sharon Carlyle with Realtor Beverly Hanks Realtors, Paula Wagner with Beverly-Hanks Mortgage Services, bianco blanco blanc, Skip Sawyer State Farm Insurance and Entegra Bank are supporting the program. Stores are committing to stay open later on Saturdays for shopper’s convenience. Sue Green says they picked Saturday night to round out the car shows and concerts at the southern end of Main Street that are on Friday nights. The music will run from 5-7:30pm. Bring your lawn chairs and dancing shoes and enjoy a good time with family and friends. TheGreenRoomCafe.biz The Green Room Café, 536 North Main St., Hendersonville

Jeter Mountain Band

NORTH MAIN MUSIC SERIES: 6/4: Stepchild 6/11: Special Guest 6/18: Bluesy DuoJuly 2: Lynn Goldsmith & Jeter Mountain Band 7/9: Black Mountain City Limits 7/16: Appalachian Fire 7/23:Stepchild 7/30: Elise Pratt Duo 8/6: Justified Vibe 8/13: Letters to Abigail 8/20: Appalachian Fire 8/27: Ross Osteen & Crossroads 9/10: Justified Vibe 9/17: Calvin Get Down 9/ 24: Faith Bardill and the Backrow Saints

Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 13

FINE ART

Billy Edd Wheeler

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Dragin

Corgi Tales

Billy Edd Wheeler is the authorcomposer of eight plays and musicals, a folk opera (Song of the Cumberland Gap), commissioned by the National Geographic Society, and three outdoor dramas: the long-running Hatfields & McCoys at Beckley, West Virginia, Young Abe Lincoln at Lincoln City, Indiana, and Johnny Appleseed, at Mansfield, Ohio. He has authored six books of humor, four with Loyal Jones of Berea, Kentucky: Laughter in Appalachia, Hometown Humor USA, Curing the Cross-Eyed Mule, and More Laughter in Appalachia, and two as sole author: Outhouse Humor, and Real Country Humor / Jokes from Country Music Personalities. His first novel, Star of Appalachia, was published in January, 2004, and his second, co-written with Ewel Cornett, Kudzu Covers Manhattan, in 2005. Song of a Woods Colt, a book of poetry, was published in 1969. Travis and Other Poems of

The Red Wheelbarrow Oil. 28 X 25 the Swannanoa Valley (With Some Poems and Prayers by Dr. Henry W. Jensen) was published in 1977. He was the featured author in Appalachian Heritage magazine’s 2008 winter issue, which included 16 of his original paintings. North Carolina’s Our State magazine featured him in its December, 2007 issue. Born and raised in Boone.Wheeler has received 13 awards from ASCAP for songs recorded by Judy Collins, Bobby Darin, The Kingston Trio, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Kenny Rogers, Elvis, and 90-some other artists, selling over 57 million units. Wheeler’s artwork can be found at Seven Sister’s Gallery in Black Mountain. Seven Sisters Gallery is located at 117 Cherry Street in historic downtown Black Mountain. For more info sevensistersgallery. com or call (828) 669-5107.

14 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016

By Jessica and Russ Woods

By Michael Cole

By Phil Hawkins

FINE ART

Cindy Walton

talks about her art and what it means to be an artist

By Staff Reports

Rapid River Magazine: Can you describe your studio space and how, if at all, that affects your work?

nant and stiff. RRM: Describe your “aha” moment when working with your medium that made you make that leap into another level.

Cindy Walton: I share a studio with three other artists on the 2nd floor of the Wedge building in the River Arts District. Our studio is in the skinny end of the “wedge” building. It is a great spot because we get both morning and afternoon light. Visitors always mention that our studios feel welcoming. The light and the community make it a great place to work.

CW: “Aha” moments can be several things. For me it was the reintroduction of the medium—cold wax—I am now using combined with oil paint, a nd a conscious decision to focus on color. Both have helped me discover more ways to manipulate paint and grow as an artist.

RRM: When looking at your work I notice that the majority of it is full of bright color and life. So what exactly inspires you to create such vivid designs? CW: Some of my color choices and influence comes from growing up on the gulf coast of Florida. We rarely had grey foggy days and there is such a different aesthetic as to color in the sub tropics. M y paintings constantly evolve to incorporate other environments that inspire me, such as Western North Carolina and my travels to the Southwest. Each area has such a different light which shapes color, m ood, and form. RRM: Tell me about your process, where things begin, how they evolve etc. CW: I begin with the idea of a color theme or shape.

RRM: If your art could be displayed anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I will talk to the sea Then I start layering paint,combining it with a cold wax medium to see where it will take me. The layers are very important —it is the building up and taking away that adds depth and interest to my work. As I paint, all the parts come together in the end. M y years of formal training are always with me, but I find if I over-think the end result, the painting becomes stag-

CW: The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, definitely! F irst, it would be such an honor to be recognized as an outstanding American artist and to be displayed in the same space with other American artists who have inspired my work and my desire to keep painting—Alice Neel, Susan Rothenberg, Joan Mitchell, Willem DeKooning, and Georgia O’Keeffe.

Cindy Walton Fine Art Wedge Studios / Second Floor 129 S. Roberts Street, Asheville (828) 776-3034 www.cindywalton.com

Paper Sculpture and Ceramic Show Whimsical Art in The Penland Gallery

When you walk into the Penland Gallery exhibition hall right now you are immediately greeted by a pair of four-foot tall, swimsuit-clad ceramic figures with their arms high in the air as if they are about to dive off the low pedestal they are standing on. Behind them are more figures, and on the walls around them are patterned panels—some of them reflecting the light and some of them so brightly colored that they seem to glow. Titled “Conversation: Unspoken Language,” this is a show of new work by ceramic sculptor Kensuke Yamada and mixed-media artist Leigh Suggs, which runs through June 26 with a reception on Saturday, June 4 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Kensuke Yamada’s six pieces are each titled “Swimmer.” With large heads and squat bodies, they are a group of slightly unruly children, each of them preparing to take a plunge. Loosely but expertly rendered, the

By Staff Reports

inscribed with mysterious “x” and “o” marks. The attitude of these swimmers is somehow both cautious and exuberant, and they exhibit so much life that viewers may be tempted to speak to them. Yamada most recently was visiting artist, ceramics technician, and instructor at the University of Arkansas. He is currently in residence at Cheekwood Botantical Garden in Nashville, TN. His work has been widely exhibited in galleries in Seattle, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, and other cities. Leigh Suggs refers to her pieces in the exhibition as “sculptural paper,” which is surprising given that all of the pieces hang on the wall, and many of them are framed. However, with surfaces that range from highly reflective to fluorescent green and intricately hand-cut patterns that create weave-like textures in “Swimmer” by Kensuke Yamada and “Double Shadow” (de- some pieces and topographic undulations tail) by Leigh Suggs. in others, this almost-flat work suggests so figures have rough and scruffy surfaces, most of them

Continued on pg. 31

Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 15

Asheville’s Longest Established Fine Art Gallery with 30 Regional Artists

it is V

Asheville Gallery of Art

“Surrendering to Mystery” Show Opens at AGA in June

“Surrendering to Mystery,” will feature the work of Reda Kay. The artist is best known as an abstract painter who creates works that are textural, colorful, and filled Reda Kay with light. On the name of her show, Kay says, “I take my inspira-

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tion from my travels and from nature. Since my work has often been described as ‘mysterious landscapes,’ I wanted to show work that has been inspired by my travels to the Middle East.” Kay uses layers of watercolor and acrylic paint, along with various mixed media to create the texture in her paintings. She says, “Each painting takes me through a process of experimentation that leads to a series of discov-

eries.” Regardless of mediums, Kay says of her work, “I seek to depict the emotional response from people and places uniting our human spirit and the natural environment.” Already an accomplished photographer, Kay desired to expand her means of expression, which led her to study art. In 1998, she took a workshop “Borderlines” 18 X 18” from Mary – Acrylic on canvas Todd Beam. According to Kay, her art experience completely changed when the instructor gave her, “permission to paint anything with passion, forgetting all the rules.” Kay moved to Asheville in 1993 from her hometown of Miami. She was part owner of Journey’s Travel Center in Asheville from 19962001. The artist considers art as her “third career,” after having been a social worker for 20 years and a travel consultant for 31 years. In addition to Asheville Gallery of Art, the award-winning artist’s work can be seen at “No Boundaries” 24” X 20” Framed – Miya Gallery in Weaverville, Acrylic on canvas NC. Her work is also found in private collections in the USA and internationally. “Surrendering to Mystery” runs from June 1 through 30. The public is cordially invited to a reception on The gallery is open Monday-SatFriday, June 3, from 5-8pm. Reda’s urday, 11am- 6pm and Sunday, work and that of the other 29 gallery 1-4pm and is located at 82 Patton members, will be on display and for Avenue in Asheville, across from sale through the month. Pritchard Park.

16 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016

Asheville Gallery of Art FEATURE ARTIST IN

JULY 2016 Joyce Schlapkohl LANDSCAPES, FLORALS AND ANIMALS IN HER SIGNATURE STYLE OF STRONG DESIGN AND COLOR HARMONY.

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Mary E. Decker

Jce Schlapkohl

Works on display at the Asheville Gallery of Art and Seven Sisters Gallery, Black Mountain pg

joyce@joycepaints.com ~ 828-456-4600 . 21 www.joycepaints.com 6

Asheville Gallery of Art • 82 Patton Avenue, Downtown pg.

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Chartreuse Moose Fine Art • chartreusemoose.com

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Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 17

s u ulo

b a F Dining • Shopping • Galleries • Music More of what Makes Asheville Special:

Downtown Asheville Celebrate Brittany! – Exhibition of Photographs by Jan Zollars to Open at UNC Asheville June 1

Celebrate Brittany! – an exhibit of cultural and historic photos from Celtic Brittany will be presented by Jan Zollars beginning June 1 and will remain on view through July 28 at the Blowers Gallery in UNC Asheville’s Ramsey Library. The exhibit, and a reception with the photographer at 6pm. Monday, June 20, are free and open to the public. The reception takes place the same evening as the season’s first Concert on the Quad, which begins at 7pm.

Zollars, all things Celtic, who has most Americans been think of the people promoting of Scotland and Ireland,” said Breton Zollars. “Little do culture 29 they know that they years, will have cousins living present along the western her own fringes of Europe, photos of Wales, Isle of Man, traditional Cornwall, Brittany, dress, and Galicia and unique posters, Photo by Jan Zollars Asturias in Spain who make up the and remnants of a once samples of great Celtic nation. Each year, 5,000 handcrafted pottery and jewelry from the rugged northwest corner of France. performers from these areas gather at “When the conversation turns to Festival Interceltique for an annual

‘family reunion,’ and 750,000 people join them for the ten-day celebration!“ Zollars, a native of Houston, was for 10 years the American representative for Festival Interceltique de Lorient and broadcast live radio programs from the festival to stations throughout the U.S. and Canada. She also wrote for Ouest France, a large French daily. In October, she will present a Breton dance workshop as part of Celtober at the Grey Eagle in Asheville. Blowers Gallery is open during regular summer library hours, 7:45am-9pm. Monday-Thursday; 7:45am-6pm on Friday; and 1-9pm on Sunday. Ramsey Library is closed on Saturdays during the summer. For more information, visit library.unca.edu.

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Asheville — Dining • Shopping • Galleries • Music

Adopt a Puppy or Kitten Subaru’s ‘Share the Love’ collects $23k Prestige Subaru selected Asheville Humane Society as the Hometown Charity for the “Share the Love” event which kicked off November 19, 2015 and ran through January 2, 2016. The event brought in $23,574 and the check was recently presented to Asheville Humane Society by Prestige Subaru. Subaru of America donated $250 for each new car bought or leased, allowing the buyer to choose from five national charities and Asheville Humane Society. Tracy Elliott, Executive Director of Asheville Humane Society said, “Asheville Humane Society is

incredibly grateful for the support we have received once again from Prestige Subaru, Subaru of America, and our community. This generous donation will further our mission to give animals in our community the best possible care so they can not only live, but thrive.” Prestige Subaru’s Anthony Pelle was thrilled that event donations would support animals in need. “We are very excited to present Asheville Humane Society with another check from our annual ‘Share the Love’ event. They sincerely go above and beyond making sure that each

animal gets the care they need and deserve,” said Pelle. Asheville Humane Society is dedicated to promoting the compassionate treatment of animals in our community through education, sheltering and adoption. Asheville Humane Society is a private, non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization focused on saving lives of homeless animals. Visit our website at www.ashevillehumane.org.

Désirant

www.SusanMPhippsDesigns.com 4 Biltmore Avenue 21 828.277.1272

7000 Square Foot Boutique

Désirant is a 7,000 square foot lifestyle boutique in the heart of downtown. The easiest way to get to us is by simply following your nose to Mellow Mushroom, you can’t miss us at this point. The space is the product of a magnificent restoration of the old J.D. Nelson building. The floors were gathered from old barn houses in the foothills of both Tennessee and beautiful West Virginia. The exposed brick, repetition of arches, and sections of plastered wall give the feel of antiquated beauty, and allows guests the opportunity to escape and experience something different, unique, and individual from all the rest. Our inventory has been carefully curated from trips throughout Europe and North America, as

well as within Asheville’s local Market. Our motto “Live life beautifully” has really been the inspiration for every step we’ve taken. From the teak clad espresso bar to the carved tibetan dragon, we are constantly pushing our aesthetic boundaries and, in the process, finding the beauty in every aspect of our lives. Home decor, Fashion, Art (Local & International), Bath, Jewelry, and Accessories are amongst the many categories you can dive in both in store and on the web. So come, and enjoy a cappuccino on one of our darling bistro sets and allow us to help you better take in the city we love so much. IF YOU GO

pg. 36

WNC’s Largest Selection of Pre-Owned Bikes and Accessories.

Probably the Oldest Bike Shop in the U.S.

Address: 34 Broadway, Asheville,

Phone:(828) 258-2250 Hours: 10–6pm

FREE Downtown Parking

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(828) 253-4800

28 Ashland Ave • Downtown Asheville Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 19

l oca

Drinks and Dining Free Classes offer Skills Brewing your own Beer this Summer

For over two decades, Asheville Brewers Supply has been WNC’s home for homebrewing and winemaking. Aside from offering the area’s largest selection they also bring their customers the educational opportunities to help them brew their best. Beginner Brewing Class — usually the 3rd Saturday from 1:30-3:30pm Next Class: June 18th Learn how to make your own quality craft beer at home with minimal time and equipment. It’s easier than you think, and they will show you how with some great tips and tricks. For those of legal age, they will sample last month’s brew.

pg.

26 WB

All-grain Brewing Class — usually 1st Saturday from 1:30-4:30pm Next Class: June 11th

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437 N. Main St.

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20 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016

Hendersonville, NC 828-696-9800

This “advanced” class will offer knowledge and tools to brew like the pros without the use of any malt extracts. As in the beginner class, those of legal age will be permitted to sample last month’s brew. Classes are free. Please reserve your space by calling or emailing. Monthly classes and workshops are free to the public. Check our the calendar for specific dates, times and events at: www.ashevillebrewers.com/pages/calendar For more info call: (828) 285-0515 or email: brewgeeks@ashevillebrewers.com

Local Food and Drinks Guide

Outdoor Cooking Fun Two Festivals worth the visit this June FIRE & ICE: MANNA FoodBank’s 2016 Blue Jean Ball Ignite Your Passion and Chill at the 17th Annual Blue Jean Ball! Ignite your passion to fight hunger while relaxing on the banks of the Swannanoa River at MANNA FoodBank’s 17th Annual Blue Jean Ball, Saturday, June 4. Don’t miss Asheville’s favorite June fling, featuring small plate grazing and desserts from a range of Asheville’s top restaurants, from Biltmore to Rosetta’s Kitchen and dozens of wines and beers from which to choose. Get inspired by the FIRE & ICE theme and glam up to win costume prizes for Hottest, Coolest, and Best Hot and Cold Duo. Dance the night away with DJ Nigel, and the fabulous Jesse Barry and the Heat – Asheville’s own American Idol Hollywood finalist backed by nine of Asheville’s top musicians! Take a break from the dance floor to enjoy entertainment from Christine Garvin Dance – a 10-person dance troupe whose performance is created especially for this event theme and always brings a fun surprise – and shop the stunning

array of treasures in the Blue Jean Ball silent auction tent. IF YOU GO

Tickets are $75, and are all-inclusive. This event is for ages 21 and over. (828) 299-3663 or go to MANNAFoodBank.org to purchase tickets.

Blue Ridge Barbecue & Music Festival at Harmon Field in Tryon In addition to plenty of freshly cooked BBQ, grilled cornon-the-cob and other foods, listen to live music on two stages and find great local crafts. More than 90 of the best cookers in the country compete here for more than $20,000 in titles, trophies and prizes. Watch the cooks in “Hog Heaven.” The cooking competition is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. In addition to barbecue from some of the competitors, enjoy kettle korn, porkskins, hot dogs, ice cream, pitas, shaved ice, philly cheese steaks, funnel cakes and more. A major highlight is the 20th annual Foothills Arts & Craft Festival. It is juried to bring in the best contemporary and traditional crafters as well as fine artists. IF YOU GO

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For more info: www.blueridgebbqfestival.com June 10-11 (10-11pm) Free on Friday

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COVER STORY

In Pursuit of Excellence Seven Sisters Gallery reveals award-winning art in Black Mountain

and restaurants,” says McNair. “I have so The captivating town of Black Mounmany ‘old favorites,’ but I’m constantly tain, NC inherits part of its identity discovering new things about our vibrant from the Seven Sisters mountain range, town and the talented people who live about three and a half miles long and here.” including seven gracefully rising “sisWith over 250 artists and craftspeople ters” climbing to their father, Greyrepresented in Seven Sisters Gallery’s beard Mountain. 2000 square foot space, about sixty Changing garments every season, the percent are local to the immediate area majestic range beckons residents and visiwith the rest from the region and around tors to look up. These mountains, creating the country. “The Valley,” have provided inspiration, “It’s the peace, energy and beauty that comfort, adventure and tranquility to people want to experience and surround its residents and visitors for centuries, themselves with as they live and visit and seem to especially attract those with here, and that is what we strive to procreative energy who yearn to express their vide at Seven Sisters,” says McNair. beauty through art. The gallery frequently features local Seven Sisters Gallery has lived in the artists to give the community an opporwarmth and shadows of the Seven Sisters tunity to connect with their work. Billy mountain range for over 35 years in the Edd Wheeler, a Swannanoa resident, will heart of historic downtown Black Mounbe featured June 3- August 28, 2016. Leaf sculpture is made by John Wayne Jackson and it is made out tain. The gallery echoes the mountain spirWheeler is an award-winning songwritof a composite. it found in the Valley with the finest selection er and visual artist. He has received 13 of handcrafts and artworks: sculpture, pottery, awards from ASCAP for songs recorded many of us love,” says Black Mountain resident Julie woodwork, jewelry, glasswork, metalwork, fine art, by Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Kenny Rogers, Boyd. “I have lived here for 15 years and Elvis and 90-some other artists. He is still always discover something new and writing songs, but is focusing more of original in the gallery.” his time on painting, most inspired by Seven Sisters’ owner, the culture of life in Western North Andrea McNair, deeply Carolina. connected with the charm Other local artists featured at of the mountain town and Seven Sisters Gallery include its shops, restaurants and John Wayne Jackson, Erin people when she moved Essen Campbell, Rachel from Minnesota over 20 Clegg, Cheryl Keefer, and years ago. John Smith. After working as a “All of these artists have sales associate at the a unique way of expressing gallery for seven years, their love for the community she purchased Seven in which we live,” says McSisters from the original Nair. “It is truly an extraordiowner in 2002. She is nary place.” passionate about the talented artists in the area and Seven Sisters staff (from left): Andrea Mcstrives to make the gallery a Nair, Titia Saville, June Hewett, Seven Sisters Gallery is located platform to showcase local art Jennifer Willet and Arlene Martin. at 117 Cherry Street in historic and craft to the public. downtown Black Moun“The mountains illuminate original paintings, cards and more. tain. For more info our days, and the soul of its Erin Essin Campbell — Necklace “Stepping into Seven Sisters Gallery is like stepsevensistersgallery.com or people is expressed in our made from sterling silver and jasper ping into an artistic expression of this special place so independently owned shops call (828) 669-5107. 22 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016

PHILOSOPHY

THE SILENT MIND AWAITS

By Bill Walz

“Allow the genuine silence that is ever-present behind the noise of everyday life to increasingly draw you to itself.” — Stephen Bodian (Wake Up Now) “When you become responsive to the solicitations of silence, you may be called to explore the invitation.” —Jean Klein

Silence does not sit well with the American character. If people are gathered together and not otherwise engaged in some activity and nothing is being said, it is sometimes referred to as an “uncomfortable” or “awkward” silence. In many homes, there will be several TV’s on with no one watching, perhaps some music playing as well. I know several people who sleep with the TV on, and can’t sleep without it. The sound “relaxes” them. In our social encounters, we generally seem much more interested in talking than in listening, and in those encounters, if there are any significant number of people present, there will be a jumble of conversations, each trying to be heard over the others. Increasingly, people taking walks (even nature walks) will be on their phones or their music players, ear buds in place, quite cut off from the subtle sounds of the world and nature around them. A busy city street corner is a discordant symphony of sounds; emergency vehicle sirens, autos, buses and trucks, people talking, perhaps construction, the sounds of civilization. It seems that everywhere, the sounds of modern life drown out nature, and all this sound drowns out our own nature, always there, but forgotten and overlooked in the life of a modern person. This leads to agitation and agitation leads to anxiety and disquiet, and anxiety and disquiet is one way of looking at what Buddhism means when it speaks of suffering. In accounts of people from nature-based cultures coming to cities in “civilization” there is a consistent report of being overwhelmed by the noise. One particular account is of a Native-American in the early 19th century having traveled to Washington D.C. for a treaty negotiation lamenting upon his return to his village that the noise was so terrible that he feared he would never be able to “dream” again. This, for a traditional Native American of the old ways was a disaster, for “dreaming” was a state of consciousness where the world revealed itself at a deeper level than what is seen, heard and thought at the level of the conventional senses. “Dreaming” is not the dualistic world where a human is separate from other humans, from animals and the natural world in an organization of linear time, where space is just empty, functioning as an agent of separation; it is the non-dualistic, non-linear realm of energetic consciousness connecting all that is. In this realm, time and space are non-linear, so prophecy and remote-viewing are possible. Individuality is relative so that a person can be both human and a spirit-animal,

see through another’s eyes, and be available to the The universe happens as matter and consciousness, wisdom of nature, and space is a field of energy the harmony and balance of the forms of matter the connecting objects that have energy patterns and result of the infinite and perfect intelligence of the signatures that give them unique properties and universe. This perfect intelligence also gives powers. rise to you and me. We are expressions of the Entering the “dream” realm can occur both universe just as the stars and planets and birds, while asleep and awake and to lose this trees and oceans. This is known to us, not as capacity was to be banished from the world thoughts, but in the silent intuitive intelligence more real to a traditional Native American, of awareness. Australian Aborigine, or African Bushman This silent genius is you, beneath the than what we moderns experience as cacophony of chattering mind that thinks real. The gate to this realm is the silent you are just Jim or Betty, stumbling to mind beneath the cacophony of what find your place in the world, when your we moderns mistake for the limits of place is right where you are, the universe mind in its constant noise of sensation, manifesting as a human being. You thought and emotion. It is also the silent know everything you need to know to realm of nature, the vast background brilliantly be a human being the way a of energetic and vibrant stillness out tree knows how to be a tree if you of which all life activity arises. will only learn to trust the silent This silent realm is consciousness mind that awaits your awakening which gives rise to all that is. into the truth of who you are. Individualized it is awareness Be drawn to this silence, explore and it is the field of potential its truth and solicitation, and find behind and beneath the arising a peace in your own presence of all sense experience and that is simultaneous with thought. all presence. The universe When directed to identify is happening through you. mind in our culture, we will Touch the silent mind and identify thought, which is the you will touch infinity within mind talking to itself. When we the finiteness of your life. Look are directed to identify ourselves at our most basic for the silent mind and it will show itself in the act of level and experience, we will identify our experience looking, for it is the awareness that looks. Look at the of thought and emotion. When directed to identify world and live from that which looks adding nothing of our purpose it will be to leave our mark, in a sense, what you think – that which thinks is neither you nor make some noise so that our presence in this world the world. The silent mind is. is noted. Silence is nothing – it is an absence of anything. In silence, we think we are nobody to the world, so that even when we are externally silent, we are making noise internally, telling ourselves the Bill Walz has taught meditation and story of “me.” But this is only who we think we are. mindfulness in university and public Wisdom traditions from cultures all around the world forums, and is a private-practice meditation and through time tell us that this is a misidentification teacher and guide for individuals in of catastrophic error. mindfulness, personal growth and The greatest Zen koan is the most basic question: consciousness. Information on personal “Who are you?” And the Zen tradition tells us that this growth and healing instruction, or phone consultations, inquiry must be approached with a silent mind – or at (828)258-3241, e-mail at healing@billwalz.com at least, for the novice to meditation, the attempt to . Learn more, see past columns, video and audio achieve a silent mind through enforced physical silence programs and schedule of coming events at www. and stillness. There you sit, watching the activity of billwalz.com your mind. How long will it take to realize you are not the activity of the mind, the restless, repetitive jabbering? Return to the sentence that says “There you sit, watching the activity of your mind.” Who is this “you?” Who is watching the activity of the mind? YOU! You, the silent awareness that is witness to the restless, repetitive jabbering. YOU! All along, through your entire life, the silent mind of awareness is present, its true value and purpose ignored, as overlooked as the air that surrounds you, but which without, you could not exist. So, too, without awareness you could not exist, for awareness is who you are. Likewise, without awareness there is no intelligence, for it is not the realm of thought that gives rise to intelligence as is evident by how much of thought is truly useless, often foolish, even harmful. As aboriginal people and mystics of every culture understood, there is the realm of consciousness that binds and connects the universe, that is the unfathomable intelligence that beats your heart, gives rise to the stars and the atoms, to all that is alive, from the most primitive single cell organism to humanity. Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 23

MUSIC REVIEWS

Spinning Discs

Summer Albums worth Checking Out

Welcome to summer and the June edition of this column. I’m continually amazed at the excess of great music out there and wishing I only had more time and space to cover it all.

THE RIDES ‘PIERCED ARROW’ 429 MUSIC On their sophomore effort super trio, The Rides, crank up the amps and deliver a tasty bit of grit-laden blues rock that makes their first go around

By James Cassara

seem like a lazy stroll through the park. While that effort hinted as to what might be, on Pierced Arrow the three veterans Stephen Stills and Barry Goldberg along with relative new kid on the block Kenny Wayne Shepherd sound like a true band, with fiery guitar interplay between Stills and Shepherd and Goldberg’s sublime keyboards. It’s a mixture of originals, including some of Stills’ best songs in more than two decades, and a lively cover of Willie Dixon’s “My Babe” that defies anyone to not get up and shake their groove thing. While the new songs are largely composed as a group effort The Buffalo Springfield like “Virtual World” is Stills’ at his reflective rocker best, with the blues rock anthem “Mr. Policeman” not far behind. On “Riva Diva” Shepherd gives ample evidence to his technically brilliant and emotionally deft guitar work (and he’s no slouch in the singing department) but what really elevates Pierced Arrow is the spontaneous cohesion that exists between the principal players. Aided by Stills touring bassist Kevin McCormick and Shepherd alumnus Chris Layton on drums Pierced Arrow is the sound

of some storied musicians who, now having two albums and a tour under their belts, are likely scratching the surface of how good they can get. For three times Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Stephen Stills, it’s another highlight in an already fabled career. For Shepherd and Goldberg, it’s a chance to play with one of the greatest. While for the rest of us, it’s a musical treat worth hearing over and again. ****1/2 Pity Sex ‘White Hot Moon’ Run for Cover Records Mainstays of the Ann Arbor grunge rock scene, Pity Sex make a move forward by taking a step back, eschewing the relatively subdued tone of their first full length album, 2013’s Feast of Love. Their latest is more in step with the full bore propulsion of their 2012 EP Dark World. Much like that stunning debut White Hot Moon is built around the roughly edged guitar work of Britty Drake and Brennan Greaves, the distorted fuzz tone of Will Yip’s (who doubles as producer) bass and Sean St. Charles pounding the drums as if all hell were about to break loose. Which it frequently does. There’s nothing remotely “professional” about the snapshot production which captures the band at its most gloriously raucous, but the innate distortion of the band is nuanced by an irrepressible knack for melody. Even more impressive are the songs themselves, finding a comfortable space between quiet melancholy (“Burden You”) and buoyant pop (the gorgeous “Orange and Red”). Like most self-declared “shoegaze” bands (a term I find largely incompressible), Pity Sex’s lyrics meander gloriously from one incomplete thought to another, working well within the margins of the songs but rarely lucid enough to stand on their own. Which is fine, ‘Disc’ continued on pg. 30

24 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016

LIVE MUSIC

John Gorka, American Folk Finds new path to old style

The inherent wit, wisdom and authenticity of John Gorka’s songs have helped propel him to the forefront of the contemporary American folk music scene while influencing several-Jack Johnson, Ed Sheeran and James Bay among them-artists who have gained an equal or greater foothold in the movement. Since the 1987 release of I Know (Red House Records) Gorka has come to be seen as a “musician’s musician,” the sort who has other songwriters scratching their heads thinking “I wish I’d written that,” even while scrambling to record their own versions of his songs. The New Jersey native (more readily associated with Minnesota where he has lived most of his adult life) is also an exemplary guitarist, with a finger picked style that hearkens back to Bukka White, but is uniquely his. As a child, Gorka had been given a guitar as a Christmas present but, by his own admission, “never really thought much about playing music in front of people.” He eventually began doing so while attending college in Pennsylvania in the early ‘80s (a time when folk music was experiencing another of its cyclical revivals). Gorka eventually formed his own band, nonsensically dubbed “The Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band,” and began performing up and down the Eastern Seaboard, “playing for tips, sleeping on couches, and living a vagabond life of poverty.” His big break occurred in 1984 when Gorka, who’d made his way to Texas hoping to join the burgeoning Austin music scene, won the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Award. That led to a series of other high profile festival gigs and a recording deal. After the release of I Know, Gorka briefly moved to Windham Hill Records, for whom he cut the highly acclaimed Land of The Bottom Line, but soon settled with the High Street Label, making five critically and commercially successful albums. The most significant of those efforts, 1993’s Temporary Road, garnered significant airplay from country outlets with crossover success of the single and video “When She Kisses Me.” That exposure resulted in tours supporting Mary Chapin Carpenter and Nanci Griffith, along with studio work with guitarist Leo Kottke and Fairport Convention drummer Dave Mattacks. Between Five and Seven followed in 1996, and two years later Gorka returned with After Yesterday, which marked his return to the Red House label. In 2010 he teamed up with Eliza Gilkyson and Lucy Kaplansky for both a tour and the album Red Horse. For the next four years Gorka continued to tour steadily but didn’t release another

By James Cassara

John Gorka album until 2014’s The Bright Side of Down. But it is his latest project that understandably excites him: Beginning: The Unreleased I Know - Nashville, 1985 Sessions are outtakes from Gorka’s very first sessions, recorded at Cowboy Jack Clements’ studio under the guidance of producer Jim Rooney, who at that time was riding high for his work with Nanci Griffith. These nascent recordings, made with the full intent of release before Gorka and Rooney decided to take the sessions in a direction that eventually yielded the debut album, will be available this July (digitally and physical product) through Red House. It features nine of the 12 songs that would be on I Know, as well as “Geza’s Wailing Ways,” a track only released on a rare 1983 Fast Folk compilation. Recorded and mixed over a frenetic period of five days, by Gorka and a full band these sessions promise to provide a fascinating look into the road not taken, an alternate musical direction the artist and producer chose to forego. Featuring extensive liner notes and reminiscences by Gorka the artist revisits his first foray, as an aspirating wide eyed 25-year-old, into a professional studio. “Even though it is an older recording it is a fresh take on the songs” he says. “For the most part these songs were my introduction to the world. I can only say that I was finding my way. I had played solo live almost exclusively and I had not made an album or ever done a studio recording with other players. I guess I just didn’t know what I wanted to hear but I know now that there is more than one right way to present a song. These songs weren’t cast offs, or songs that weren’t good enough. They just weren’t what I wanted at the time.” It would be two more years and two more versions, both recorded in his home state of New Jersey, before I Know would see the

‘Gorka’ continued on pg. 31 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 25

POETRY

The World Needs Love Poerty reminds us who we could be

By Carol Bjorlie — “The Poet behind the cello”

Swing a friend’s hand and sing this Burt Bacharach and Hal David tune! “What the world needs now is love, sweet love, It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of What the world needs now is love sweet love, No, not just for some but for everyone!”

When we sing together, we are one voice. Everyone needs love, even people with curly hair, dreads, or black bowls of hair. I’m going to use the “P” word. Here’s a quote from Evelyn Underhill,

In public life and Politics, govern for eternity. That takes courage.When we share meals, sing, get together for a hike or canoe ride, we are one. We may not be the same, but we are one. I lived in Minnesota for 14 years. It was like living at the UN. At our church there were folks from South Africa, Norway, Asia, Uganda, China and Poland. We were a rainbow. The languages were music. I taught a writing class for muslim women. We wrote about our mothers. What’s more universal than mothers? One woman said, “I made poem.” She beamed. “I made mother poem.” There were smiles all around.

Love was a light in the room. We need love in North Carolina. We need to love our college students and make it possible for them to learn here. You know I’m talking about HB2. Isn’t everybody? Everybody should. “It takes courage.” This state needs to govern for eternity. Heck, I’ll share a bathroom with E. T. if he/she shows up. Who knows who will appear? Maybe an opera singer, farm hand, sculptor, writer, priest, lawyer or doctor. We need these people whether they are Hispanic, African, Norwegian, straight and narrow, or gay and filled with the world. Poetry is a language that connects us.

“Writers, dreamers, doctors, lawyers, folks with labels, Norwegians, Ugandans, Swedes, Americans, readers, tell your truth.”

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That looks on tempests and is never Let me not to the marriage of true When Sherman shaken. / It is the star to every minds / Admit impediments. Love Alexie cancelled wandering bark, / Whose worth’s is not love / Which alters when it his reading in North unknown, although his height be alteration finds, / Or bends with Carolina, the New the remover to remove: O no! it is an taken. / Love’s not Time’s fool, York Times carried though rosy lips and cheeks / ever-fixed mark a letter written by Within his bending sickle’s compass That looks on tempests and is never Malaprops Bookcome: Love alters not with his brief shaken. / It is the star to every store general manhours and weeks, / But bears it out wandering bark, / Whose worth’s ger titled, “Why even to the edge of doom. / If this unknown, although his height be Should My Store be error and upon me proved, / I taken. / Love’s not Time’s fool, never writ, nor no man ever loved. though rosy lips and cheeks / Bruce Springsteen Be Boycotted Over —From Shakespeare Within his bending sickle’s compass a Law I Despise?” Sonnet 116 come: Love alters not with his brief The Assistant manger hours and weeks, / But bears it out continued, “Bookstores are a place where difficult even to the edge of doom. / If this conversations happen, and it’s an imperative space be error and upon me proved. to keep open in times like these. We want people to — From Shakespeare come here and start a discussion.” Sonnet 116 Authors, you are empowered. The loss of multiple performances, author’s readLet me not to the marriage of true ings, and loss of licensing for musicals affect this minds Admit impediments. / Love is not love / Which alters when it state and our town. Who has said “no” to NC? Bruce alteration finds, Or bends with the Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Cirque du Soleil, Pearl remover to remove: O no! it is an Jam, Nick Jonas, Demi Lovalo. Who’s next? ever-fixed mark The Citizen Times notes: “The Justice Department and North Carolina filed dueling lawsuits over the new state law (HB2)” — Dueling lawsuits? Do $$$ your truth. Let us learn appear in your head? from history. Let us get it Education Secretary, John B. King states, “We must right this time. ensure that our young people know that whoever they are or wherever they come from, they have the opportunity to get a What the world needs now is love. great education in an environment free from discrimination, Not just for some, but for everyone - including you! harassment and violence.” Writers, dreamers, doctors, lawyers, folks with labels, Shalom, Carol Pearce Bjorlie Norwegians, Ugandans, Swedes, Americans, readers, tell

26 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016

WRITER INTERVIEW

John Hart, Bestselling Writer

Talks about writing and why it took five years for his latest book

Rapid River Magazine: It’s been five years since your last book Iron House was published.

By Dennis Ray

in. Of course, in Pat’s case, so much of it was personal and drawn from his own experiences. So he’s the John Hart: Five years is a long time one who inspired me a in the publishing world. (Laughs) John lot in terms of the types Who? of stories I wanted to RRM: Why did it take so long? write. For whatever reason I ended up JH: I always take three months off adding more of a when I finish a book before I start the thriller element next one. I’ve got to let the old wash to my work than away. Let the well fill for the new. I he did. That was took six months off this not intentional. time because I moved I guess that’s just the the family to Virginia line I tend to walk. Patricia and we needed time to Cornwell who was 10 years settle in. So I sat down ahead of me at Davidson had to write book five asbecome a well known writer. I suming it would behave watched what she did, knowin the same manner ing all along I wanted to be a as the others, only it writer. Then there was John didn’t. Then some 300 Grisham. We both went to law pages later I realized I school. I too didn’t care much was writing the wrong John Hart for being a lawyer. book. I scratched that and started over. That RRM: Redemption Road has was a full year of writing. (Pauses) been getting good if not great reThen it took me two years to write Reviews, and it is my favorite of your demption Road and then the publishers books. had it and that takes time. JH: Thank you. No writer springs from RRM: Do you consider yourself a the well fully formed. Early on I was Southern Writer first, then a writer of such a sucker for overwriting, that was the thriller? always my personal failing. I know I have a tendency to do that, so I pair it JH: There are some labels I like more back pretty aggressively. than others. Mystery thriller, Southern Gothic, all that is fine. Southern Writer RRM: Your stories are quite tightly is a more meaningful term to me only written, every word pushes the story because I think it actually means someforward and honestly I couldn’t thing that is storied, traditional in a way think of any part of, well, Redemption that a commercial thriller story might Road for example, that I would take not be. I don’t think that just being in out, that I would consider padding or the South makes you a Southern writer. as you may call it “Over writing.” RRM: What writers have inspired JH: In previous books I may have overyou? wrote a bit and then overcompensated by pulling back a bit which may not JH: Certainly Pat Conroy. He’s one of have lead to the smoothest of narrative. the big ones. For several reasons, one, While I make no pretense of perfection, his use of language has always been I think I am honing in with each book exceptional and I love language and a little closure to what I want to sound try to do the most I can with language like. without overwriting which is a perpetual challenge since it is easy to do. RRM: How many trunk novels do But Conroy had such a willingness to you have? expose the raw nerves of family and JH: I wrote two novels before I ever community and really make people feel whatever pain his characters were living got published. Both of them went una-

gented and unsold. I went a long time without getting published. Since then I have have met many writers and I am surprised by how many successful big name commercial writers have similar stories. I think the main difference between being a published and an unpublished writer is perseverance. You have to write day after day with no monetary compensation. You just have the faith that you can do it. And it’s a brutally difficult thing to do, to spend that much time in what is in essence a thankless task beyond the pleasure of writing. I put graduate school on hold. I quit careers to do this. RRM: Lets talk about character. This is a strong aspect of your writing. JH: A character needs to be three dimensional, they can’t be all heroic or perfect, they have to be a real person. A trick of a writer is that you don’t present a resume of character traits, you have to offer small reveals that allow the reader to picture this person in their own mind so that they see them without you having to tell them everything. Rookie writers always seem to do what I call an “information dump” where they tell you everything about the character on the first page. If you want a character to be memorable then you have to let the reader know what drives this character, what their goals are and what they are willing to do to reach their goals. RRM: The past plays an important roll in who your characters eventually become. Do you begin with a developed character and then go back to see why they are this way?

JUNE

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READINGS & BOOKSIGNINGS GRADY HENDRIX presents MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM 06/06/2016 - 7pm COLIN CAMPBELL presents FREE DAYS WITH GEORGE 06/07/2016 - 7pm THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY: JOY CALLOWAY, KIM WRIGHT & ERICA MARKS discussion & signing 06/09/2016 - 7pm T.D. JOHNSTON presents FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND OTHER STORIES 06/10/2016 - 7pm MARNIE MULLER presents BORNING IN AND BORNING OUT 06/11/2016 - 7pm CABERNET & COLORING 06/13/2016 - 7pm DAWN TRIPP presents GEORGIA 06/14/2016 - 7:00pm ROBERT BURKE WARREN presents PERFECTLY BROKEN 06/16/2016 - 7pm TERRY ROBERTS presents THAT BRIGHT LAND 06/18/2016 - 7pm WRITERS AT HOME 06/19/2016 - 3pm STEPHEN CRIMI presents KATABATIC WIND 06/21/2016 - 7pm CARRIE HIGHLEY presents BLUE APPLE SWITCHBACK 06/24/2016 - 7pm PAUL WILLIS presents REFLECTIONS OF A WORLD WAR II VETERAN, 06/25/2016 - 1pm JAY SILTZER presents THE BOOK OF MALACHI 06/26/2016 - 3pm SUSAN BRANCH presents MARTHA’S VINEYARD ISLE OF DREAMS 06/27/2016 - 7pm CHRISTINE HALE presents A PIECE OF SKY, A GRAIN OF RICE 06/30/2016 - 7pm

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JH: Yes, I do that for the most part. Childhood plays a huge roll with most of my characters, except with the Last Child which was mostly about kids so that isn’t the case. All the other books you’ll see that things happen in their childhood that make them who they are ‘Hart’ continued on pg. 31

Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 27

A Unique Mountain City Experience e ov Dining • Shopping • Galleries • Festivals

L e W

Waynesville, NC

“Find your Adventure!”

Mark Your Calendars to Save the Date

2016 Agritourism Guide” now available

Agritourism as an enterprise is being hailed as a primary force in our modern economy drawing

millions of visitors to NC who spend upwards of $13 billion dollars each year. The 2016 Agritourism Guide has been designed to appeal to a vibrant and diverse traveler. This unique and popular publication crisscrosses Haywood offering year round opportunities to enjoy a variety of experiences celebrating our rich farming and agricultural heritage. The 2016 Agritourism Guide includes: farmer and tailgate markets, roadside stands, on farm markets, U-Pick farms,

Artisan pickled products from Copper Pot & Wooden Spoon. —Photo by Rachael McIntosh, courtesy of Copper Pot & Wooden Spoon.

specialty retail shops, rustic hospitality venues, historic preservation and local gardens, Christmas tree farms, plant nurseries, a 2016 Calendar of heritage related events, a listing of farm-to-table restaurant and other local flavor entertainment spots. It also features a spectacular hand drawn map of Haywood County by local naturalist, Ken Czarnomski, breathtaking photos by Ed Kelley, and a delicious Summer Fruit Salsa recipe from Chef Jackie Blevins of Perfectly Seasoned. Printed guides are free. Locations are listed at BuyHaywood.com

Tour an Official Monarch Waystation, an Orchard and Apiary, lush gardens with multiple beds of shade and sun plants and shrubs plus see the Giving Garden at the Canton branch of the Haywood County Library. Plein Air artists will be at each garden and there will be demonstrations of propagation, attracting Monarch butterflies, bees and other pollinators, square foot and vertical gardening and how to construct a children’s garden. Proceeds to benefit the Haywood County Extension Horticulture Program and horticultural and educational projects throughout the County, including elementary school and community gardens, the plant clinic and grant programs. IF YOU GO

Save The Date :June 18. For more info, call the Haywood County Extension Cooperative Service at (828) 456-3575 or visit www.ces.ncsu.edu

10 REASONS TO BUY LOCAL 1. K eep money in the neighborhood 2. E mbrace what makes us different. 3. Get better service.

4. E njoy a more diverse range of product choices.

6. Help the environment.

5. Create more good jobs.

8. Invest in the community.

7. B uying local supports community groups.

9. Y our taxes are put to good use. 10. Show the country we believe in WNC.

E L E G A N T & U T I L I TA R I A N , H I G H F I R E D S T O N E W A R E

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70 Main Street • Clyde, NC 28721

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36 CK

28 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016

plottwarepottery@gmail.com

PlottwarePottery.com

Waynesville — Dining • Shopping • Galleries • Festivals

Folkmoot USA July 21 - 31, 2016

In 1973, Dr. Clinton Border, a Waynesville surgeon, accompanied a local square dance team to a folk festival in Sidmouth, England. There began the dream that would, 11 years later, become Folkmoot USA. Border was convinced that WNC was the perfect location for an international folk festival in the US. The first festival was held in 1984, a date

coinciding with North Carolina’s 400th birthday celebration. The name Folkmoot, an Old English word meaning “meeting of the people,” was borrowed from a folk festival that was once held in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The first Folkmoot USA festival featured folk groups representing nine countries, including England, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Turkey, Mexico, Puerto Rico and India. Festival performers from the US included Arthell “Doc” Watson, now

one of the country’s best-known bluegrass musicians, the Berea College Dancers and the Peter Gott Family from Marshall, NC. Now, more than 30 years later, 200+ groups from over 100 different countries have attended the festival. In keeping with festival policy, an entirely new program of performers is offered each year. IF YOU GO

For information about this festival and Folkmoot USA www.FolkmootUSA.org

To Place an ad on these Waynesville Pages please call Rick Hills at (828) 452-0228 WH

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Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 29

HEALTH

My Doctor is Trying to Kill Me

Listening to What Your Doctor is Really Saying

This is a plea to weigh your words carefully. It has become socially appropriate to air our grievances publicly and take out our frustrations on seemingly ineffective people – our politicians, our enemies, even our friends. Something doesn’t happen quite as we wanted it to; someone doesn’t do just as we thought they should – and we criticize loudly and publicly, frequently before knowing or waiting to understand all the pertinent information. This current national tendency carries over into the medical field, especially in the case of diseases for which there is no consistently dependable treatment. Cancer, for example, has a terrible track record. There is no known cure for “cancer” in general. Some cancers can be killed; some cancers can be held at bay. But the treatments that accomplish these results have their own devastating side effects. And these treatments are effective in only 5-25%

By Max Hammonds, MD

of the cases overall. This is not the fault of the treatment; it’s the stubborn nature of cancer. But the medical profession uses such treatments in the hope that their patient will be in the small, but lucky group who go into remission. (There is no “cure” for cancer, only a 5-year survival rate.) Consequently, people decry, “Doctors are trying to kill us. Doctors don’t want to find a cure for cancer. They can make more money treating cancer, than curing it.” If your doctor wanted to kill you, he could do it much more cheaply and

quickly. And if the doctor wanted to make money, he would find and patent an absolutely perfect way to cure cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates 1,685,000 new cancer cases in 2016 – and more every year following. Imagine the money one could make “curing” all these cancers. The money is not in the treatment; the money is in the cure. BUT there is no cure. So doctors do the best they can with what they have. So, what about all those alternative medicine “cures” for disease? Unlike the promoters of these methods and potions, doctors and drug companies have to demonstrate that their methods actually work. And, unfortunately, there is absolutely no proof that these

alternative methods consistently work. If the proof were there, the medical people would be the first to use them. (See paragraph above.) Meanwhile, cancer continues to occur at an alarming rate. Life-style changes could eliminate about 80% of cancers of the lung, colon, esophagus, pancreas, and skin, and the incidence of many other cancers would be lessened. But people don’t want to change; they just want a cure. So, the medical profession searches for new methods and reluctantly uses the old methods in the hope of saving some. Please, despite your frustration with the human inability to “cure” cancer, be careful what you say, because what you say, you begin to believe. And when you believe the medical profession is “trying to kill you,” you will no longer avail yourself of the services of the very people who have devoted their professional lives to helping you.

things lively throughout the albums dozen songs. Like most really good albums, it’s over before you know it, leaving you wanting a bit more. I for one eagerly look forward to their next offering. ****

liams (vocals, guitars, and banjo), Misa Giroux (vocals, guitar, and mandolin) and Son (bass and vocals). The three are augmented by James Maple on drums and vocals along with Eric Lichter on pedal steel, piano, and slide guitar. As for the music, it’s a breezy strum-along of down home sentiments and subtle joys. None of it is particularly deep, nor does it pretend to be, but it is hard not to be seduced by such singalongs as “Don’t Go Fallin’ In Love” and “Bottle Full of Felonies” (which gets my vote for song-title of the year). I’ll admit the vocals took some getting use to. They’re a bit too twangy for my tastes but if your preferences for old-timey songs runs deeper than mine, I highly recommend you give My Old Heart a try. I’m further willing to bet, given the good time nature of the songs herein, the band, would be a hoot to see live on stage. ****

‘Disc’ continued from pg. 24 as with most bands of their kind Pity Sex are much more about mood and gesture over logic and structure. White Hot Moon may not be as immediately engaging as was Feast Of Love but in the end I have a hunch it will more fully stand the test of time. **** CORNFLOWER BLUE ‘INVINCIBLE’ I’ve been a fan of this Ottawa, Ontario based quintet since I first stumbled across their second album Running Down the Rails. Interlacing threads of country, folk and rock they easily conjure up The Byrds, Poco, (whom the band readily admits as influences) and others of that genre but, with the shared vocals of Theresa McInerney and Trevor May, backed by a rhythm section built around violin, bass, and drums, I liken them more to the Richard and Linda Thompson era of Fairport Convention. Anyone who knows my love of that music will recognize this as high praise indeed. The songs, written by McIner-

ney and May, trod familiar heartache, dreams gone wrong (and a few gone right), but it’s the sheer force of the playing and the interaction between band members that never lets the music drag. The barren and frigid winters of their home enter in, most notably in “Cold Snap” and “Way Down Town” (a somber look at the affects of homelessness) as does the alcoholism that is too often a result of such harsh environs, as the lead protagonist of “Catherine” finds solace in the bottle only to comprehend the fallacy. As for those musical influences “The Ballad of Don Rich and Buck Owens” leaves no doubt as to whom at least two of the band’s musical idols are, even tossing in a chorus of “Buckaroo” for good measure. So this is a follow up that doesn’t disappoint but rather reinforces my faith in Cornflower Blue and the road they are taking. There’s a certain swing to Invincible, a momentum that keeps

RED LEG HUSKY ‘MY OLD HEART’ DIRT FLOOR MUSIC Given that I’ve been an active part of our music community for more than 30 years, I keep pretty up to date with the local scene, yet darned if this Asheville based trio hasn’t somehow slipped under my sonic radar. Having just given their recently released disc a concentrated listen, I’m here to make amends and sing their praises, particularly since they are mining a genre (old time music) that I don’t typically gravitate towards. Yet, they do so with reverence and respect, inspired by but not anchored to the past. The band consists of Tim McWil-

30 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016

‘Penland’ continued from pg. 15 much dimension that it seems fair to call it sculpture. There are perceptual games going on with this work as well—some of the reflective pieces steal color from their cousins across the room, and several of the panels have bright colors that are concealed on the back of the paper, but mysteriously leak out as the viewer moves past them. A recent MFA graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Suggs has exhibited her work in numerous shows in Virginia and North Carolina. This exhibition is a great opportunity to visit the recently renovated and expanded Penland Gallery, which is also featuring functional work by potters Forrest Middelton and Adam Field in the Focus Gallery, and a site-specific installation by Asheville artist Jackson Martin. This intriguing piece includes steel structures, live juniper trees, and raked gravel

patterns. Also on view are large, outdoor sculptures by area artists Hoss Haley and Bill Brown, Jr. The Visitors Center Gallery has an ongoing display of objects that illuminate Penland’s history. And the gallery sales area represents hundreds of artists who are affiliated with the school.

Reflexology ~ Reiki Reiki Drumming

The Penland Gallery & Visitors Center is located on Conley Ridge Rd. just off of Penland Rd. in Mitchell County (near the town of Spruce Pine). It is the first building on your right as you enter the Penland campus. The gallery is open Tuesday - Saturday, 10-5pm. Sunday Noon-5pm; closed Mondays. (828)765-6211 or visit penland.org/gallery.

One Hour Session: $40. FREE Session the First Thursday of the month.

IF YOU GO

‘Hart’ continued from pg. 27 today. I’ll come across a character and see that he or she acts a certain way and I’ll then start asking myself “why” and “how come” and then I’ll go back to their childhood. RRM: After having written several best selling novels do you find yourself writing for an audience? “I’m writing a thriller because my readers wouldn’t want me to write a romance or sci-fi,” or are you writing what interests you at that moment in your life? JH: Okay. So writers are given a little more credit then they should in having it all planned out from the

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‘Gorka’ continued from pg. 25 light of day. Over the years, the multi-track tapes of the original recordings followed Gorka around as the relocated. He eventually set them aside but in the fall of 2014, he took them out of storage to see if they would still play. “I brought them to Rob Genadek at The Brewhouse Recording Studio in Minneapolis to listen and we enjoyed what we heard. I thought that others might too, even those people who were familiar with the songs. It had different arrangements and a different energy as I was singing and playing live with the band. Kenny Malone on drums and percussion, Dave Pomeroy on bass and some backing vocals, I think. Jay Patten on saxophone. Mike Dugan on electric guitar. Ralph Vitello or Biff Watson on keyboards. And Stuart Duncan on fiddle and mandolin. Jim Rooney also played second acoustic guitar on several songs and Shawn Colvin and Lucy Kaplansky sang while we did the tracking, everyone in one room. Rob actually thought to bake the tapes with a hair dryer so that magnetic particles would not

Bowen Training Instructor Reiki Master / Teacher

pg.

26 WF

flake off. I’m s o glad he did, as that allowed us to transfer the analog tapes to the digital world and here they are.” Indeed. And come Friday June 3 so too will John Gorka, playing these “new” old familiars along with others from this thirty year career. Times have changed; the industry certainly has, but the affability and dependability that marks the music and career of the artist remains the same. John Gorka at the Isis Restaurant and Music Hall on Friday, June 3. Tickets are priced at $20 Advance / $20 Door for this 7:30 show, with doors opening at 5. Please note that this is a seated show with a limited number of tables available with dinner reservations. Call (828) 575-2737 for reservations IF YOU GO

beginning. I just put things in motion and try to see where it all leads. Non of my books were written to be “best sellers” or “thrillers” that’s just where my mind goes. John Hart is an American author of thriller novels. His books take place in North Carolina, where he was born. He now lives in Virginia. He is a 1988 graduate of Davidson College. His work has been compared to that of Scott Turow and John Grisham. His latest book is Redemption Road and is sold at all major bookstores

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Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 31

ODDS AND ENDS Three Festivals for Three Seasons

On Front Street in the Historic Town of Dillsboro

By Amy Ammons Garza Dillsboro has been a tourist town since 1886 when visitors began to arrive by train and spend several weeks. Word spread about the cool summers and beautiful mountain scenery. This year, the historic mountain town will present three arts and crafts festivals, each one with a focus on a beautiful season of the year: In spring, on June 18, the Front Street Arts & Crafts Show; for summer, on August 20, the Summer Arts & Crafts Market; and for autumn, on October 1, ColorFest, a fine arts and fine crafts show. With each season, with each festival, Dillsboro not only celebrates the local arts and crafts community, they also celebrate their history. The town grew up around the railroad, providing goods and services for those who used the Southern Railway and became an important transportation center for local industry. More than a century later, Dillsboro has changed only little — a small country village with pristine white houses, rustic old shops, galleries, restaurants and quaint country inns. The founder, Thomas Dills’ home still stands, as do many of the shops that first opened their doors in the 1800s. As in the past, the train is once more making an entrance into the town of Dillsboro, bringing with it even more tourists who are drawn by the vast beauty of the area and it’s history. On June 18, for the Front Street Arts & Crafts Show, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad’s Tuckasegee (tuck-uh-SEE-jee) River Excursion includes an 1½ hour layover in Dillsboro. With Dillsboro’s 20 or more small shops, and over 50 booths of the Front Street Arts & Crafts Show, the day will be filled with great opportunities to see and purchase many works of the hand and listen to some great entertainment. Sounds of the guitar, the bass fiddle, the banjo will echo through the town, along with the dancing tap shoes of cloggers and tantalizing smells of festival foods. With the warm days of August, Dillsboro’s Front Street once more engages the public with the Summer Arts & Crafts Market. On August 20, just past the middle of the month, 40 or more booths of handmade arts and crafts will grace the street. Craft demonstrators will be strewn through the vendors and the shops of the merchants. Entertainment in the courtyard and in some of the shops will enhance your visit to the mountains. It is in the full glory of autumn, October 1, when you will experience the fiery colors of the mountainous landscape surrounding Dillsboro. This spring, summer, and fall, come visit Dillsboro, NC—the home of fine arts and fine crafts! Each festival starts at 10am, going through until 4pm. IF YOU GO

Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week To Celebrate 25th

by Teresa Buckner For 25 years now, enthusiasts from all over the globe have come to Mars Hill University to learn and celebrate the traditional music of the Appalachian mountains, to learn from some of the finest teachers in the world, and to “jam” with like-minded souls. The 2016 Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week, planned this year for June 5-10, will include around 250 participants, many of whom have made this weeklong music camp a tradition with friends and family, returning year after year for a week of workshops, classes, concerts, group singing, and “jam sessions.” According to Hilary Dirlam, who co-coordinates the event with fellow musician Ann Whitley, the current success of BROTMW events was not foretold by its inauspicious beginning in 1991. That year, she said, the camp included 7 instructors and around 30 participants. It was a rainy week in the mountains, and unseasonably cold for June. “Despite all that, everybody had a great time, and we decided to continue having it,” she said. BROTMW was the brainchild of traditional musician and Madison County native Sheila K. Adams, who got the idea while teaching banjo and ballads at the Augusta Heritage Center Old-Time Week in West Virginia. “During the instructors’ orientation meeting, I realized the majority of instructors were from North Carolina,” Adams said. “Over the course of the week I started thinking, ‘Why not have something like this down home and why not at Mars Hill College?’ Within a month, I was talking to people on campus about it, and in 1991 we had the first BROTMW.”

Find It Here

IF YOU GO

For more info: (828) 689-1167, or go to www.mhu.edu/ oldtimemusic for more information or registration.

NORTH ASHEVILLE MW

WNC OVERVIEW

GROVE PARK INN

ML MB

A BD

HENDERSONVILLE RD.

WA T H

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(828) 646-0071

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For more information, email Connie Hogan, owner of Tunnel Mountain Crafts, at chogan4196@gmail.com, or call her at (828) 586-3511.

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Adams said she believes that western North Carolina is the perfect location for BROTMW because it has long been recognized for its rich traditional music heritage. And Mars Hill University has a history of preserving mountain culture, music and dance through the Bascom Lamar Lunsford “Minstrel of Appalachia” Festival (now in its 49th year), the Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies and the Rural Heritage Museum. “My hope was to utilize the vast talent of traditional musicians from the area as instructors and we did just that,” Adams said. “I honestly feel in my heart that BROTMW offers a deeper understanding and insight into the culture of traditional music as well as the talents of the very best instructors. It just doesn’t get any better than that!” Dirlam agrees that Mars Hill University is an ideal location for BROTMW. “I really love this music,” she said. “I moved to western North Carolina in 1980 because of the music, because the first time I heard it when I was a young child, it really moved me, and I have pursued it from the time I got a guitar when I was 13 years old.”

CLYDE CK

WAYNESVILLE

GREAT SMOKY MTN EXPY. WV

32 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016

WAYNESVILLE

HAZELWOOD AVE.

WAYNESVILLE WB

Downtown Black Mountain

The 39th Annual

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ART Auction Contributes Studio 13 is lucky for collectors

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that you see in this sunlit room. The room faces a lovely dogwood tree and the Monte Vista Hotel. It’s clear that Barbara Frohmader and Susan Hanning are having a good time creating their artwork. There is a wide variety of subject matter and price range. Everything on the walls mirrors Studio number the excitement for what 13 is a lucky find the painters enjoy. There for collectors of are works in oil, acrylic original art. Tucked and watercolor. Studio in a corner on the 13 is a treasure trove of second floor, behind creations inspired by travthe stairs of the Red Susan Hanning and Barbara Frohmader Show their donated els, by the beauty which House Studios and art auction pieces surrounds us here in WNC Gallery, you will and by more traditional make two more right subject matter as well. hand turns and you Susan and Barbara are offering an opportunity to will be surprised. Your first surprises are the bright colors and the interesting combination of work ‘Studio 13’ continued on pg. 34

ART Auction Offers viewers a GREAT opportunity to Own Original Art while contributing to Two Local Organizations

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Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 33

BLACK MOUNTAIN ‘Studio 13’ continued from pg. 33 purchase two paintings each at a special Barbara was a member of The River price by having a silent auction. Come by Arts District for five years: “There is Studio 13 during the month of June and so much wonderful creative expression place your bid on any of these beautiful everywhere. Art lovers and buyers have original creations. unlimited choices ... I see it Susan, who moved not as artists competing with from Wisconsin six each other, but rather thriving years ago and has in a creative atmosphere that been involved in the is unique to this area. As a Red House Studios resident of Swannanoa I like and Gallery since that my studio is close at hand then, says: “Painting now and the Fine Arts League is my love. I render is a small but very eclectic flowers and landcommunity.” scapes in a representational manner For more information on using oil and acrylic Barbara go to paint. Poppies are a www.BarbaraFrohmaderArt. particular favorite.” com. Her auction piece was Susan is also in inspired by the Swannanoa Sue Hanning “Loving Monet’s River. Half the proceeds will charge of coordinatWater Lilies” go to ArtSpaceCharter school. ing the quarterly art exhibits at the Monte Vista Hotel for the Follow your bid and update Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League. your offer all month between 11Her auction piece is of water lilies and 5pm Tuesday - Saturday and 1-4pm colorful Poppies. A percentage of the sale on Sunday. The gallery is Closed will be dedicated to the Black Mountain Mondays. Bidding ends at the close Montessori School where her daughter is of day (5pm) June 13. Each artist will the Director. personally contact the highest bidder.

Art In Bloom

A flower filled annual event

The Black Mountain Center for the Arts is happy to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Art in Bloom, a flower-filled annual event that takes place on June 9-11, and includes a Gala Preview Party (June 9 at 6pm $50) with catered buffet dinner, a gallery display of spectacular Ikebana and Western floral designs, a two-day Cottage Garden Tour (June 10 and 11 from 10-4 pm $20), en plein air painters in the gardens, followed by a display of their works (June 14-July 8). It all began in early May with artwork selected from regional galleries specifically for Art in Bloom. Once the Vivint Home Security. Simply smarter.

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34 Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016

art is hung, 20 floral designers, some of whom are members of the Ikebana (the Japanese art of floral arranging) Society, are matched with one of the works of art. These works are on display in the Upper Gallery now through June 8. The Upper Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 10-5pm. The event really gains momentum on the morning of June 9 when the floral designers come to create their flower arrangements, each capturing what they see as the essence of the artwork they are interpreting, resulting in a magnificent display. Once the floral arrangements are complete, the Arts Center hosts the Gala Preview Party on June 9 at 6pm to celebrate the talented floral designers and their works and to give ticket holders the first glimpse of the arrangements when they are their freshest. Included in the $50 ticket price will be catered buffet dinner, free wine and beer, and special flavors of Ultimate Ice Cream for dessert. This year’s honorary chairs are Judy Fore, Terri Todd and Sally Robinson the three women who spearheaded the event 10 years ago. On June 10 and 11 guests are invited to view the gallery filled with floral designs ($5), and explore Black Mountain with a Cottage Garden Tour (10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $20). Each garden will have plein air painters working to capture the garden’s beauty on canvas. Beginning June 14 the plein air art works replace the floral designs in the gallery and are on display through July 8. This event helps support the programing, events, classes and activites hosted year round at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts. The Black Mountain Arts Center is located at 225 W. State Street. For more information call (828) 669-0930 or visit BlackMountainArts.org

ART CLASSES

Learn to Paint or Draw

Art Classes from some of the best local artists Arrowhead Gallery, Old Fort June Classes

Adults Daytime: Clay, Painting, Mosaic Mirror, Go BigAdults Evenings: Brushes N Brew, Wine Glass Painting Sunday 1 time a month, Free Sunday PaintersFor Kids: Clay, Drawing and PaintingFor dates, times and cost, go to www.arrowheadart.org Questions call Lorelle Bacon (828) 595-6007 lorelleartist@hotmail. www.comlorellebacon.com

Principles of Representational Painting workshops with Virginia Pendergrass

These classes are for novice and intermediate painters, begin June 24 at Trackside Studios, 375 Depot Street in the River Arts District, Asheville. Introduction to Painting, a 1-day workshop on June 24, is designed for true novices. Subsequent indepth workshops include Color Mixing, Composition, Values, and Light and Shadow. Class size limited to 8. For details, go to www. virginiapendergrass.com and click on Workshops.

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“We begin in my studio, in the historic Riverside Station in the River Arts District of Asheville. For landscape we will travel to public parks and gardens, “Festival Barn” the Blue Ridge Parkway and other John Mac Kah places to paint on location. All levels welcome. Materials included. July, 2016. 5 days. TBA ▪ Register 14 days prior. ▪ “Materials List” upon registration, studio easels available. ▪ Supplies costs included, materials list provided. ▪ Bring your lunch and beverage. Coffee, tea, water on hand. ▪ We have a refrigerator and convection oven in the studio. ▪ Several fine local, pubs & restaurants within driving distance. ▪ Coming from out of town? We can refer you to artist owned Arrowhead Gallery accommodations. ▪ As we get close to two weeks before the workshop, please contact us. These are small classes and they fill quickly. ▪ Private instruction available. Let’s talk. 191 Lyman Street – Front Entrance next to studio 115, go upstairs. Right 2x, then left. ▪ Call (828) 225-5000

Start any time, Marvelous Mondays, Morning and afternoon sessions, Adult Classes, beginner and up. Learn to draw and paint with Lorelle and Nadine. ALL LEVELS, beginners welcomed. Register online or at the studio, www.310art.com, Riverview Station, 191 Lyman Street,#310, Asheville. gallery@310art. com, (828) 776-2716

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This June: Wax, Paper, Thread, Lorelle Bacon teaching at June 8 and 9. Encaustic Pendants, June 310 ART 10. Encaustic Comprehensive, June 24 and 25. Adult classes. Beginner and up. Almost ALL materials and tools included. Register online or at the studio, www.310art.com, Riverview Station, 191 Lyman Street, #310, Asheville. gallery@310art.com, (828) 776-2716

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Vol. 19, No. 10 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — June 2016 35

pg. 21

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pg. 36

828-225-5000 JohnMacKah.com