28 minute read
Pure Prairie League to perform at AsheJam
Pure Prairie League (Michael Reilly, far left).
The attitude of gratitude
Michael Reilly of Pure Prairie League
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
In the annals of country-rock history, a handful of acts were able to ride the line of mainstream radio success, all while breaking new ground in fusing the respective genres. Like a buckin’ rodeo bull, these bands straddled the sounds of honky-tonk twang and razor-sharp electric six-strings.
What started with the innovative, experimental sounds of The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Flying Burrito Brothers, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Buffalo Springfield, and Gram Parsons in the 1960s, soon parlayed itself into the 1970s swagger of juggernaut groups like Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Poco, Emmylou Harris, and Pure Prairie League.
Recently celebrating 50 years together, Pure Prairie League remains a pillar of the countryrock realm, this seamless blend that radiates vibrant threads of tones running clear across the melodic spectrum.
For a band that formed in southern Ohio, PPL has always brandished its geographical influences that ultimately shaped the identity of the ensemble — from Appalachian bluegrass/folk to Midwestern country/rock to Chicago blues/jazz.
Having crisscrossed the globe for a halfcentury as the bassist for PPL, Michael Reilly’s journey began in his native northern Kentucky. A lifelong musical sponge, he saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan in 1964 and started a garage band as a middle schooler, playing sock hops and pool parties.
As a teenager, he snuck into a Kentucky bar and watched the legendary Lonnie Mack onstage, forever changing his life: “I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Reilly said. Soon, he was playing in The Lemon Pipers (famous for the #1 hit, “Green Tambourine”).
From there, he took off to attend the Woodstock festival in 1969, ultimately relocating to New York and joining The Robert Lee Band, which left for England, opening shows for David Bowie.
Reilly was then called up by PPL to be a session musician for an upcoming album (the smash record “Bustin’ Out”). He joined the band in 1972, right before the album was released, forever changing all involved, especially on the heels of “Amie” — an immortal song just as poignant and luminous as PPL itself these many decades later.
Want to go?
Acclaimed country/rock act Pure Prairie League will perform at the AsheJam festival June 25-27 at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center in Fletcher.
Other stage acts will include Perpetual Groove, Orleans, The Grass Is Dead, Jeff Sipe Trio, Travers Brothership, Pink Beds, Taylor Martin, Snake Oil Medicine Show, Hard Rocket, Emisunshine & The Rain, and many more.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to www.ashejam.com.
Smoky Mountain News: With the shutdown, what it proved to me is what I’ve always felt, which is that music is more than just entertainment — it’s a healing force.
Michael Reilly: Absolutely. It’s a way to bring people together, and it’s a way for them to get into a place in their head where they have fond memories. So, that’s always a plus for us.
MR: You know, we look at the people and we see them singing along to the songs. They know all the words, some of them with their eyes kind of rolled back in their head or squeeze onto their [significant other].
And it’s because they’re sort of transported back to their college days or whatever — that’s what we’re chasing after, for people to get that kind of experience that we can deliver to them.
Good music is not bound by time and space — it’s always in fashion.
SMN: How did you first cross paths with PPL?
MR: I was playing with The Lemon Pipers in Cincinnati at a place called the Ludlow Garage. We were on the same bill as Pure Prairie League. I listened to them play and I was blown away.
These guys are really good and this is [a band] that I’d like to be in. Poco had just come out with its first album and I was wearing that out — [that sound was] definitely something that interested me.
And I became friends with [PPL]. A couple of years later, when I got back from England with the piano player [from The Robert Lee Band], they called us up and said, “Hey, we’re doing our second album at Toronto. Can you guys come up?” And the rest is history. Like [Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry] Garcia said, “What a long strange trip it’s been.” [Laughs].
SMN: That album being “Bustin’ Out,” which is such a wide palette of genres.
MR: We were rock-n-rollers playing with country instruments and singing with a country slang. We grew up [in the Midwest with country and rock music]. We didn’t try to do anything or try to sound country or try to sound this way or that way, we just wanted to write our own songs. We started writing our own tunes, and that became the driving force.
SMN: What has 50 years of touring and performing taught you about what it means to be a human being?
MR: There was an old manager of ours named Jack Daley. He was an amazing man and one of my mentors. He had a phrase called, “the rich tapestry of life.”
His mother was a burlesque singer and vaudeville dancer when he was growing up. He [went on to] manage Judy Garland and Rita Hayworth, and he wrote “Amos ‘n’ Andy” radio shows. He managed Hopalong Cassidy, The Everly Brothers, people like that. [Jack] was such a fountain of knowledge and experience for me. And he always used that phrase, “the rich tapestry of life.” The more I look back on my life, the more I think, “wow, what a crazy quilt this is.”
Jack was right, all the way along the line.
SMN: Well, I would guess that you probably are a big subscriber to the idea of “the now” and practicing gratitude.
MR: Oh, absolutely. Life is worthless if you just bitch about things. And I’m blown away and completely, totally blessed — nothing but gratitude.
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
The Bristol swimming hole.
(photo: Garret K. Woodward)
White lace and feathers, they made up his bed, a gold covered mattress, on which he was laid
It was about 15 minutes into meeting Sailor Steve and Texas Jeff when I knew I’d met some of the wildest souls on this damn planet.
Sitting at The Contented Sole bar (and grill) in the sleepy Atlantic Ocean harbor cove that is New Harbor, Maine, last Friday night, I bellied up to the bar counter and ordered a local draft, the “Pemaquid Ale,” and quickly befriended the duo.
I had just finished a seafood dinner with my mother (age 72), her best friend (age 60+) and her best friends’ mother (age 97) at the seaside shack of alcohol and lobster (and whatever else they dragged up from the depths). The bill for dinner was paid and they headed back to their summer house around the corner.
The trio of hardcore female role models in my life said goodbye and left me there to (possibly) chat up the cute bartender, more so just to grab a nightcap and roll on into the final cosmic realms of my Friday night.
An hour later, there I was at the Sole, listening to wild-n-out tales of the high seas from Sailor Steve and Texas Jeff about hauling huge catches of scallops (“It’s pronounced ‘ska-all-ups,’ Garret,” Sailor Steve instructed) from the treacherous Georges Bank, some 300 miles into the Atlantic Ocean from New Harbor.
Earlier that day, I went for a trail run at Dodge Point Public Land, along the coast and just south of Damariscotta, Maine. Jogging through the northern woods, I thought of how I almost called the community home.
Aside from coming up here every summer since I was born (1985), I was offered a staff writer position at the Lincoln County News. It was April 2012 and I was 27. I’d been barely hanging on a freelance writer following the economic collapse of 2008, eager for full-time employment again in terms of the written word.
At the time, I was scraping by on sporadic $45 articles and substitute teaching at my old high school on the Canadian Border. Although I was offered the LCN gig, it didn’t sit right with me. The whole situation didn’t feel comfortable, and I’ve always been one to follow my intuition. I simply felt there was something better just around the corner.
Some close friends and family members said I was crazy to turn down the job, but less than two months later, The Smoky Mountain News received my resume and asked if I was interested in relocating to Waynesville, North Carolina, and working for them. The rest? Well, you know how it goes.
Leaving Dodge Point, I headed to the Bristol swimming hole (pictured) between Damariscotta and New Harbor. I've been jumping into its cool waters since I was in elementary school. Many a lazy summer day spent on the riverbank here, pondering the ways and means of life: as a kid, then a teenager, onward into adulthood.
At 36, a lot more salt and pepper in the hair as I saw my reflection in the water. I pulled up and immediately jumped in, only to swim up to the riverbank and find a warm spot on the ancient rock bed. I sat and thought of all the emotional weight of my past, and how much of that I truly want to carry presently into the future (which isn't much, truth be told, but easier said than done).
I thought of my existence before the pandemic: what my life was, where it stands today, and aspirations for tomorrow (and beyond). I thought a lot about those I dearly miss, either six feet under or thousands of miles away. I jumped into the cool waters and emerged onto the surface, once again in search of the oxygen needed to carry on.
New Harbor. Some 1,100 miles from Waynesville. Once I dried off along the riverbank, I meandered to the nearby dive bar, Shaw's Wharf. Filled with gritty lobstermen and tourists, it’s open-air establishment with cheap beers and hearty conversation in a remote fishing cove. My kind of place.
I had such an urge to wander down there Friday afternoon, perhaps make some friends with the locals. I sauntered in. Sit down. Order a beer. Taking my first sip, I notice the back of the shirt of the person next to me. It read: "Wheels Through Time: Maggie Valley, North Carolina."
I was shocked, but not surprised, for the universe provides for the curious and adventurous. Not only is the museum less than 10 minutes from my apartment in Waynesville, but the late owner, Dale, was a friend who I knew from my travels and assignments. I introduced myself and said hello to the guy sporting the shirt.
His name was Gary. Older dude. Carpenter. Lifelong resident of New Harbor. He goes, "Well, I go to Western North Carolina to ride motorcycles and decompress." To which, I go, "Well, shit, I come to the Maine coast to go run and decompress." Smiles and laughter. Handshakes and head shakes in amazement.
Skip ahead to closing down the Sole later that night, I bid farewell to Sailor Steve and Texas Jeff, as well as the cute bartender. Plans were made in haste with them to do it all over again “tomorrow night.”
Making my way back to the house, I could hear the waves of the mighty Atlantic crashing on the nearby beach, my gaze raised up and in awe of the stars hanging high in the night sky. I felt at ease, if but for a moment. I felt gratitude for the moment, fully immersed in “the now.”
It’s currently Saturday afternoon as I type this, so we shall see what mischief tonight will bring. First on the agenda right now? Back to Dodge Point and the swimming hole, probably back down to Shaw’s and make friends with locals, as per usual.
Run ‘round the circle of life up here on the Maine coast, this whirlwind of people and places (spaces and faces) that will forever hold a piece of my heart. It’s a cherished piece that I can only retrieve, more so borrow back, whenever I find myself once again cruising up U.S. 1, over the Wiscasset bridge and down to New Harbor.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
HOT PICKS
1The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce welcomes Electric Circus for “80s Night” from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at Bridge Park in Sylva.
2Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host The Usual Suspects (Allman Brothers Band/Tom Petty tribute) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 26.
3Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Unlimited Devotion (Grateful Dead tribute) at 8 p.m. Friday, June 25.
4“Pickin’ on the Square” (Franklin) will host Michael Reno Harrell (singer-songwriter) at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 26.
5The annual “Stecoah Arts & Crafts Drive About Tour” will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 2526 at featured studios in Bryson City, Stecoah and Robbinsville.
Electric Circus.
Ready for ‘80s Night’?
Celebrate summer as the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce welcomes Electric Circus for “80s Night” from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at Bridge Park in Sylva.
This event is free and everyone is welcome. Dogs must be on a leash. No coolers, no smoking and no alcohol please. Bring a chair or blanket and happy coastal vibes.
The chamber asks that anyone who is not yet vaccinated to practice social distancing, proper hand sanitizing and preferably to wear a mask. If you've been vaccinated, you are welcome to attend without a mask.
For more information, contact the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 828.586.2155 or visit mountainlovers.com.
The Kruger Brothers.
The “An Appalachian Evening” series will return to the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.
A special online performance by The Kruger Brothers will be held June 26, which is free and open to the public. The show will be live streamed at 7:30 p.m. on YouTube, with a link available at www.stecoahvalleycenter.com prior to the concert.
Ticketed shows will include The Jeff Little Trio July 10 ($25), Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road July 17 ($15) and Darin & Brooke Aldridge July 24 ($25).
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.479.3364 or click on www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.
The Pic’ & Play Mountain Dulcimer Players will be resuming in-person jam sessions at the St. John’s Episcopal Church basement fellowship hall in Sylva.
The group welcomes all beginners and experienced dulcimer players, including mountain (lap) dulcimer and hammered dulcimer players. Songs played include traditional mountain tunes, hymns, and more modern music. The group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of every month in the basement of St. John’s.
Access to the hall is from the left side when facing the church. Due to construction at the church, parking may be limited next to the fellowship hall entrance, but is available on Jackson and on Landis streets. If you are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19, wear a mask to protect yourself.
Pic’ & Play has been playing together since 1995. The more experienced members welcome new players, help them navigate their instruments, and guide them through some of the basics of tuning, strumming, and playing.
The mountain dulcimer, also known as a fretted dulcimer or a lap dulcimer, is a uniquely American instrument. It evolved from the German scheitholz sometime in the early 1800s in Appalachia and was largely known only in this region until popularized more broadly in the 1950s.
For more information, call Kathy Jaqua at 828.349.3930 or Don Selzer at 828.293.0074.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Isaiah Breedlove & The Old Pines July 17. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or www.boojumbrewing.com.
• Concerts on the Creek (Sylva) at Bridge Park will host Terry Lynn Queen w/Scott Baker &
Tim Queen (classic rock) July 2 and Fireworks
Festivities w/All in One (rock/funk) 6 p.m. July 4. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Jackson County Chamber of
Commerce. www.mountainlovers.com.
• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will be held at the Town Square from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with
Trudition June 25 and Foxfire Boys July 2.
Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host
Laura Thurston 5 p.m. June 24, Scoundrel’s
Lounge (blues/rock) June 25 and Space Granny
June 26. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com. • Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host Silent
Disco 7 p.m. June 25 and Fitz N Dave June 27. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovation-brewing.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host Bird In
Hand (Americana/indie) w/Rye Baby (Americana/indie) at 7 p.m. July 4. Free and open to the public. www.innovation-brewing.com.
• L’Italiana (Franklin) will host Bluejazz 6:30 p.m. June 25. Free and open to the public.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Scoundrel’s Lounge (blues/rock) June 26. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Free and open to the public. 828.342.5133 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host
Unlimited Devotion (Grateful Dead tribute)
June 25. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host
Bird in Hand (Americana/folk) June 25, Shane
Meade & The Sound June 26 and Aces Down 4 p.m. June 27. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or www.mtnlayersbeer.com. • Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host a “Jazz
Night” from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays,
Shane Meade & The Sound 4 p.m. June 27 and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.641.9797 or www.nantahalabrewing.com.
• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala
Gorge) will host “Bluegrass with Blue” June 25 and July 2, Somebody’s Child (Americana) 4 p.m. July 3, Pioneer Chicken Stand 7 p.m.
July 3 and Granny’s Mason Jar 4 p.m. July 4.
All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 888.905.7238 or www.noc.com.
• “Pickin’ on the Square” (Franklin) will host
Michael Reno Harrell (singer-songwriter)
June 26 and Sundown (rock/soul) July 10. All shows start at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Located on Main Street. www.franklin-chamber.com.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host Ethan Smith June 25, Jake Hicks
June 26 and Matthew Oschmann July 2.
Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.rathskellerfranklin.com. • Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing
Arts (Franklin) will host The Usual Suspects (Allman Brothers Band/Tom Petty tribute) at 7:30 p.m. June 26. Tickets are $20 per person. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to www.greatmountainmusic.com.
• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) “An
Appalachian Evening” series will host a special online performance by The Kruger
Brothers at 7:30 p.m. June 26. Ticketed shows will include The Jeff Little Trio July 10 ($25), Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road July 17 ($15) and Darin & Brooke Aldridge July 24 ($25). 828.479.3364 or www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host
Carolina Freightshakers June 25, Arnold Hill (rock) June 26, Blackjack Country July 1,
UpBeats July 2 and Outlaw Whiskey July 3.
All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host
Sound Investment 6 p.m. June 25 and
Electric Circus 3 p.m. June 27. 828.926.7440 or www.valley-tavern.com.
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Summer at Lake Junaluska
Lake Junaluska’s Summer Activities Program, which offers free and low-cost activities that celebrate faith, recreation, arts and education, kicks off the season on Thursday, June 24, with an outdoor concert by the Jacksonville Children’s Chorus.
Now in its eighth year, Lake Junaluska’s Summer Activities Program features special events such as birding tours and guided hikes as well as weekly activities including morning devotions, clogging lessons, community bonfires, yoga sessions and outdoor movies. Program activities start in late June and continue through early August.
The kickoff concert featuring the Jacksonville Children’s Chorus will be held at Lake Junaluska’s Amphitheater at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 24. It is free and open to the public. On the program are musical numbers such as “When You Wish Upon A Star,” “Orange Blossom Special” and “Conga Rhythm.”
Summer Activities Program weekly activities start the following week, the week of June 28, with morning devotions, movie nights on Mondays, game nights on Tuesdays, and community bonfires on Thursdays. Evening yoga sessions on Tuesdays, morning yoga sessions on Wednesdays and clogging lessons on Fridays, all offered outdoors, are $10 per person.
Special events include a free outdoor clogging performance by the J. Creek Cloggers on Friday, July 2, at the lakeside white tent. Those with a competitive spirit are invited to participate in the Shuffleboard Shuffle play on July 2 or play in Firecracker Fast Four Tennis on July 3. Less physically demanding leisure activities also include bird tours guided by Christine Boone Gibson and summer book reading and review with Diana Foederer and friends.
The Summer Activities Program is made possible through charitable giving. For more information about the program and a calendar of events, visit www.lakejunaluska.com/summeractivities.
• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host the Trione Vineyards wine tasting from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 24. Cost is $72 (all inclusive) per person. RSVP at 828.452.6000. Full menu available at www.classicwineseller.com/calendar (click on “June 24” listing).
• The “BBQ & Brews Dinner Train” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on select dates at the
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson
City. Full service all-adult first class car.
Craft beer pairings with a meal, and more.
For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.
• “Dillsboro After Five” will take place from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m on Wednesdays in downtown Dillsboro. Start with a visit to the
Jackson County Farmers Market located in the Innovation Station parking lot. Stay for dinner and take advantage of late-hour shopping. www.mountainlovers.com. Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.
• The “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing
Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.
• Tickets are now on sale for the July 4th celebration “Concert On the Commons” at The
Village Green in Cashiers. Live music returns with the popular dance band Continental
Divide at 6 p.m. Sunday, July 4, at the
Commons. Continental Divide features the silky smooth voice of Carolina Beach Music
Hall of Fame performer Gene Pharr to the lightness of the rhythm section to the flowing lines of the horn section. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.villagegreencashiersnc.com/concerts.
ALSO:
On the stage HART’s first outdoor show
The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will present “Billy Goat Gruff” as their first outdoor musical through July 4.
Audiences are invited to bring a blanket or chair, relax in the summer sun, and enjoy this one act musical featuring that Appalachian sound we all love.
“Billy Goat Gruff” tells a tale of adventure, believing in yourself, and not judging others. Actors play instruments, create sound effects and scenery, and sing soaring melodies that fill the HART outdoor amphitheater.
Amongst the band of actors you’ll hear fiddle, stand up bass, auto-harp, ukulele, djembe and HART will have the composer of “Billy Goat Gruff,” Ben Mackel, on guitar. “Billy Goat Gruff” is suitable for all ages and would be a great first show for your grandkids or a lovely afternoon outside with your sweetheart.
“Billy Goat Gruff” will have matinee performances with Fridays at 10 a.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m.
While you are encouraged to bring a blanket or picnic, HART will have chairs available and will be offering their usual concessions. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students, and will only be sold at the door for all outdoor performances.
You can check HART’s Facebook or Instagram for updates if you are worried about rain cancellations. Groups of 10 or more get $2 off per ticket, so bring the whole family or friend group. www.harttheatre.org.
• “An Evening of Broadway” with countertenor Terry Barber (and Grace Fields) will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at the Highlands ALSO: Performing Arts Center. With an extraordinarily broad vocal range and natural fluency in many musical styles, he has been featured on some of the world’s most storied stages and has worked with many of the music industry’s most prestigious figures. A voting member of the
Grammy Awards, his voice has appeared on every major record label, with Grammy-winning artists like Chanticleer, Madonna,
Jewel, Chaka Khan, Cyndi Lauper, Steve
Smith, and many more. Tickets are available online at www.highlandsperformingarts.com.
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Wool wrap scarves by Grace Engel.
HCC graduate art exhibit
The Folk Art Center in Asheville has opened its Main Gallery exhibition showcasing the Graduating Class of 2021 of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program.
Located on the second floor until Aug. 22, the show continues the historical relationship between the Southern Highland Craft Guild and Haywood, an educational center of the Guild.
One of the most anticipated shows of the year, the class of 2021 represents works of wood, metal, clay, and fiber. This new generation of craft is led by instructors Amy Putansu in fiber, Brian Wurst in wood, Emily Reason in clay, and Robert Blanton in metals/jewelry.
The showcase is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.craftguild.org or call 828.298.7928.
For more information about the Professional Crafts Program, call 828.627.4674 or visit creativearts.haywood.edu.
• “Faces,” an exhibit of drawings by the late
Ron Hunnicutt, who passed away in
February, will be held through the end of
June at the Macon County Public Library in
Franklin. 828.524.3600.
• The “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays at The
Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. For more information, call The Uptown Gallery at 828.349.4607 or contact Pat Mennenger at pm14034@yahoo.com. See more about
Macon County Art Association at www.franklinuptowngallery.com and like, follow and share the Uptown Gallery on
Facebook.
• The Haywood County Arts Council’s “Art
Works @ The Library,” a collaborative program between the Haywood County Public
Library system and the HCAC, is currently showcasing works by artist Cayce Moyer at the Canton Library. Working in traditional and mixed media, Moyer blends the worlds of high-brow and low-brow work. Classically trained at Savannah College of Art and Design, her portfolio includes drawing, painting, sculpture, illustration, graphic design, murals, and set prop painting for theatre and TV.
• Farmer’s Market (with artisans) will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through October at 117 Island Street in Bryson City. Stop by the old barn by the river for local, homegrown produce, as well as baked goods, jellies and preserves, authentic crafts, and more. Food truck, picnic tables and a strolling musician. Leashed pets are welcome. Outdoor event. Current
Covid-19 safety protocols will be followed and enforced. 828.488.7857.
QuickDraw art sale
QuickDraw, a local art initiative that funds art supplies in rural Western North Carolina schools, is selling art for education online now through June 30. The fundraiser presents art to buy or bid on, and a giveaway basket opportunity for donors.
QuickDraw’s sale is live for shoppers and donors through June 30. The online art market and art auction can be accessed at: wncquick-draw.myshopify.com.
Local businesses contributed to stock a thank-you basket for donations. Donors can contribute online, or in person at Bosu’s Wine Store at 138 Miller Street in Waynesville.
For more information, visit www.quickdrawofwnc.com or call 828.734.5747.
Stecoah Drive-About Tour
The annual “Stecoah Arts & Crafts Drive About Tour” will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 25-26 at featured studios in Bryson City, Stecoah and Robbinsville.
With their studios open to the public, the self-guided driving tour highlights artisans who have built a livelihood with their creative talents. Media include pottery, beeswax lanterns, original paintings, fiber, quilts, photography, artisan cheeses and more.
The tour includes: Nantahala School for the Arts (Southwestern Community College), Gallery Zella, Stecoah Artisans Gallery, Yellow Branch Pottery & Cheese, Taylor’s Greenhouse, Wehrloom Honey & Essentials, and Junk ‘n’ Style. www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.
ALSO:
Cherokee syllabary, art showcase
A work by Rhiannon Skye Tafoya.
The “A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art” exhibit at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian features over 50 works of art in a variety of media by over 30 Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and Cherokee Nation artists.
The exhibition highlights the use of the written Cherokee language, a syllabary developed by Cherokee innovator Sequoyah (circa 1776–1843). Cherokee syllabary is frequently found in the work of Cherokee artists as a compositional element or the subject matter of the work itself.
The exhibition will be on view at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee through Oct. 31, and in the Asheville Art Museum’s Appleby Foundation Exhibition Hall from Nov. 18 to March 14.
The Cherokee Syllabary is a system of writing developed by Sequoyah in the early 1800s prior to the Removal period. Through Sequoyah’s innovative work, Cherokee people embraced the writing system as an expedient form of communication and documentation.
During the Removal period, the syllabary was used as a tactic to combat land dispossession. Cherokee people continue to use the syllabary as a form of cultural expression and pride, which is showcased in the contemporary artwork of the Cherokee Citizens in this exhibition.
“We are pleased to host this gathering of works from contemporary Cherokee artists, who perfectly illustrate how our language is a living and evolving part of who we are. It is moving to see how each artist finds inspiration in their own way from this language that connects us as Cherokee people,” said Shana Bushyhead Condill, executive director of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.
“A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art” is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and Museum of the Cherokee Indian, and curated by Joshua Adams, EBCI artist and independent curator, and Hilary Schroeder, assistant curator at the Asheville Art Museum.
This project is made possible in part by a grant from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership, and sponsored in part by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation and Kevin Click and April Liou in memory of Myron E. Click.
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians artists include Joshua Adams, Jody Lipscomb Bradley, Nathan Bush, Kane Crowe, John Henry Gloyne, Shan Goshorn, Luzene Hill, Christy Long, Louise Bigmeat Maney, Christopher McCoy, Tara McCoy, Joel Queen, Sean Ross, Jakeli Swimmer, Rhiannon Skye Tafoya, Mary Thompson, Stan Tooni Jr., Alica Wildcatt, and Fred Wilnoty.
Cherokee Nation artists include Roy Boney Jr., Jeff Edwards, Joseph Erb, Raychel Foster, Kenny Glass, Camilla McGinty, Jessica Mehta, America Meredith, Jane Osti, Lisa Rutherford, Janet L. Smith, Jennifer Thiessen, and Jennie Wilson.
Established in 1948, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian is one of the longest operating tribal museums. Recognized for its innovative storytelling, the Museum features exhibits, artwork, and hands-on technology that brings over 15,000 years of Cherokee history to life.
Located in Cherokee, the museum is open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Learn more by visiting www.mci.org.
