30 minute read
JAM program gives students sense of place
28 Smoky Mountain News
A&E JAM program gives students sense of place
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
There is a special moment that happens whilst playing music, a moment when concentration takes over as a musician uses both hands in a complicated way on their instrument or tunes into harmony with another voice. It is a moment when nothing else exists. All of a sudden it is only the musician and the sounds that are being created. Despite anything and everything else that may be challenging or distracting, in that moment it all disappears.
Every student of music has felt this feeling before. The spare moments of total concentration, an almost meditative state one emerges from feeling lighter, refreshed, maybe even accomplished. For students of the Junior Appalachian Musicians program, this feeling isn’t isolated, it’s wrapped up in the friends they make throughout the program and the history and heritage they learn along the way.
The Junior Appalachian Musicians program, also known as JAM, is a nonprofit after school program for children in grades four through eight. JAM is the parent organization, providing communities the tools and support they need to teach children to play and dance to traditional old-time and bluegrass music, though each JAM program is individually operated and funded. The program introduces music through small group instruction on instruments common to the Appalachian region, such as fiddle, banjo and guitar.
JAM was founded over 20 years ago in Alleghany, West Virginia, in spring 2000 by guidance counselor and traditional musician Helen White. Her vision was to enrich the lives of children through active involvement in the music of their community.
Travis Stuart has been an instructor with the JAM program in Haywood County since it began. He had been playing music since he was young, and in his travels playing and teaching, he saw firsthand what White had put together up in West Virginia. He and his brother Trevor went to the North Carolina Arts Council to try to bring JAM to the state. Not long after, Haywood County became the second location for JAM and the first affiliate in North Carolina.
Instrumental in getting the ball rolling was Joe Sam Queen, director for the Haywood County Arts Council at the time. Queen had been directing the Smoky Mountain Folk Festival and seen all sorts of great musicians from Haywood County play on that stage. But the festival only happened once a year and it was a time for performance. Queen recognized a need for education in the tradition of Appalachian music, so when the Stuart brothers got involved with JAM, Queen jumped on board and helped make the JAM program available under the umbrella of the HCAC.
“My interest in square dance is very connected to my interest in music. You don’t have one without the other,” said Queen. “My interest came from understanding that I’ve always been trying to promote young musicians. We were so excited when they came to us in the arts council, and we could support them. They had helped develop the program in West Virginia. They’d gone up there and helped their friend develop the program.”
JAM has been making space to pass down and learn the art of Appalachian music for over 20 years now, with Haywood County Arts Council Executive Director Morgan Beryl excited to help keep the tradition alive.
“It’s a very low-cost way to provide an afterschool activity to kids that builds skills that they can use for a lifetime,” said Beryl. “I think that is definitely part of the mission of the Haywood County Arts Council is to provide community services in the art world to youth. I also think part of the Haywood County Arts Council’s mission is preserving our traditional
Appalachian craft culture. Appalachian music obviously fits into that realm, and we want to make sure that it continues locally.”
Students of the JAM program can choose to learn guitar, fiddle or banjo. Another teacher is dedicated for advanced students, and band instruction where students can take what they’ve learned on their own instrument and apply it to playing with others.
The JAM program is modeled after the traditional way of learning music in Appalachia — by ear, in a group setting with the greater goal of playing together.
“The way we teach, it’s like we learned,” said Travis Stuart. “We try to do ear training, get kids to listen, so it’s a little bit of a different approach than a traditional music class.”
Learning by ear is not only the traditional form of learning Appalachian music, which typically happened on front porches, in kitchens or next to the fire, it’s also vital to be able to play traditional Appalachian music. A musician playing in a traditional group setting has to be aware of the other musicians around them, be able to hear chord changes, listen for where a melody fits in and find harmonies by ear.
“I’ll play a song and say, ‘the chord changes here,’ and they might not hear it at first, but after listening to it, I can tell by the look in their eyes when they hear that change, they recognize that change. Picking up melodies too, some kids can pick up melody faster than others, and some kids can hear a chord change faster than others,” said Stuart. “My brother, he’s a fiddle player. He could hear the melody of a fiddle tune, which is based in the Scottish Irish folk music. He could just pick those up really fast. Being mostly banjo and guitar, I could pick up and hear the chord changes pretty early on.”
Thanks to a partnership between the Haywood County Arts Council and Folkmoot USA, the Folkmoot Center is currently providing a home for JAM program lessons.
“Folkmoot is definitely our biggest sponsor. They’ve been incredibly generous. They donate that space to us every week,” said Beryl.
In addition to learning music, students who partake in the JAM program are making lifelong connections. As part of the registration for current JAM students, the arts council put out a survey to gain insight on the program. According to Beryl, preliminary results show that students’ favorite parts of the program are things like making new friends, getting to hang out with instructors and the overall sense of community.
“That really gets to the heart of what we’re trying to do, which is give students the opportunity to meet other kids that like to do the same types of things and build those long-lasting relationships around a hobby that can get them through the everyday swirls of life,” said Beryl.
This semester, Fritzie Wise joined the Haywood JAM program as coordinator. Music is central to Wise’s life, and she is excited to be able to facilitate the learning of music and the connecting of peers.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to get together once a week to be together, to play music and to learn the history of our mountain music,” said Wise. “I think it’s something that gives them purpose and it’s something they can share with their families and share with their friends. It’s a constant thing in their life, every week. Especially after COVID, they need places where they can be together with other kids their age, finding the music, learning the history and playing it together.”
“It’s just a great way to socialize. It’s a great social skill. Music is just another kind of intelligence that we all should partake in in our lives to make us better people,” said Queen.
There is no doubt that music is a valuable skill, one that can serve as a meaningful connection between people. But the JAM program also serves as a connection to heritage and place.
“It just gives kids a kind of sense of place. They play music that came from here,” said Stuart.
Learn more
For more information, or to sign up, visit haywoodarts.org/junior-appalachian- musicians-jam/
Students in a fiddle lesson outside the Folkmoot Friendship Center.
Final performance for guitar students at the Queen Auditorium in the Folkmoot Friendship Center.
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Catch a wave and take in the sweetness, think about it, the darkness, the deepness
It’s 8:53 a.m. Room 159. Super 8 Motel. Christiansburg, Virginia. Upon exiting the room in time for the 9 a.m. breakfast cutoff in the lobby, the frozen December air hit my face like a frying pan. Some 27 degrees with sunny skies in the depths of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Head across the vast parking lot. Past the empty spaces once filled with travelers and transients, all gone by the time my phone alarm went off at 8:45 a.m. Past a tractor-trailer taking up several spaces. Past the motel maid who’s just starting her day.
Enter the lobby and head for the coffee stand. Ain’t much for breakfast options. A few bags of maple and brown sugar oatmeal. Container of hot water. Container of watered down coffee. Two bowls of oatmeal and a cup o’joe consumed. Nobody behind the front desk counter to say goodbye to. Back to the motel room.
This specific Super 8 has been a refuge of sorts for my wanderings and ponderings over the last few years. It’s always inexpensive and clean at $55-a-night. Good Wi-Fi and clean sheets. All you need, really. Usually I’ll swing in here as the first part of my journey north or last part of the trek south along Interstate 81.
There have been times I’ve stayed here en route to a funeral or to be home for the holidays or to and from a music festival. The reasons vary as to why I find myself on this property every-so-often. But, the person (me) is still the same — filled with restless thoughts, urgent actions and a unquenched thirst for that lost highway.
Another 12 hours or so left of driving before I’ll be pulling into the snowy driveway at my folks’ farmhouse in the North Country. Over six inches of snow fell upon my hometown a day or so ago. Evidence of the white blanket was seen in social media photos posted of my little sister and her young family. And of them with my parents cutting down the family Christmas tree from the same farm we’ve been chopping one for the living room since we were kids those many years ago.
Whether coming or going, the hotel room remains the same in these parts. Crank
HOT PICKS
1“Comedy Night” will be held at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 23, at Mad Anthony’s Taproom & Restaurant in Waynesville.
2The Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) “Small Works” exhibit will run through Dec. 30 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom in downtown Waynesville.
3Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host Anna Barnes (Americana) at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 30.
4Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host singersongwriter Steve Heffker at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 24.
5Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Blackjack Country at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 30. the air-conditioning in the summer. Crank the rattling heat in the winter. The endless pavement and silent gas stations, scratchy radio stations and big rigs flying by in the unknown night. It’s all, well, nothing and everything when you’ve been rambling for countless years at this point. Coming or going, the hotel room remains the same.
My mind keeps drifting to what I might see, feel or experience in the next week or so leading up New Year’s Eve. As per usual, no plans for where to be when the ball drops in Times Square (or if anyone will be doing anything anyhow, considering). The debate to stay up north and enjoy what fleeting days I have back at the farmhouse or motor below the Mason-Dixon Line to where my existence has lingered in the almost 10 years I’ve called Haywood County home.
The mind drifts as to emotions felt when I will sit-down with my family for Christmas dinner in the farmhouse. My folks, little sister, brother-in-law, and my two nieces. Pour the wine. Cut the prime rib. Pass the mashed potatoes. Throw another log in the fireplace in the back den and in the living room.
I often wonder how many more holiday gatherings like this are left, especially with my dad’s 80th birthday around the corner. Not to be morbid, more so simply truths of the universe we all must face sooner or later. I also wonder about my mom’s health, which has stumbled a little bit in recent months. My little sister may not notice how quickly time passes in seeing them each day, but it’s evident in my handful of encounters throughout the year.
And I wonder about myself in the grand scheme of things. Where do I fit in amid all of this? Going on a decade since I lived in the back bedroom of the farmhouse, eagerly in search of a full-time writing gig somewhere, anywhere. Each time I walk up the back stairwell to that bedroom, I think of all of those lonely nights questioning if the path I was on in becoming a journalist would ever find stability.
The mind drifts to seeing old friends and acquaintances soon enough, whether at the neighborhood bar or greasy-spoon diner, pumping gas in the cold air or maybe in passing at the grocery or liquor store. We’ve all grown up, but the vivid memories of days long gone are always close to the surface of our minds, for good or ill.
And the mind drifts to St. Patrick’s Cemetery, where I’ll pay my respects to the final resting place of my late cousin. Now covered in snow, it was only the past June when we all gathered to say goodbye, myself giving his eulogy in front of a semi-circle of faces that represent many years and chapters of my life.
Whether coming or going, the hotel room remains the same in these parts. Crank the air-conditioning in the summer. Crank the rattling heat in the winter. The endless pavement and silent gas stations, scratchy radio stations and big rigs flying by in the unknown night. It’s all, well, nothing and everything when you’ve been rambling for countless years at this point. Coming or going, the hotel room remains the same.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
We are here for all your last minute gift needs
Triple-Win Climate Solutions: Toxic mask pollution? How you can help
Nature never did betray the heart that loved her. —William Wordsworth, 1798
Editor’s note: Since this article was written by meteorologist and biologist Neva Duncan Tabb in April, disposable mask pollution has worsened horrifically, damaging the health of people and the wildlife on whom we depend for a viable life. See the video “More than 25,000 Tons of COVID-19 PPE Is Polluting Oceans,” November 19, at https://weather.com/h ealth/coronavirus/video/more-than-25000tons-of-covid-19-ppe-is-polluting-oceans?pl=p l-coronavirusExcerpt: “A new study finds the pandemic has led to more than 25,000 tons of plastic waste entering our oceans.”
Irresponsible people, including a few here in WNC, are damaging our waterways and land. Walking at Lake Junaluska recently, we found masks dropped on the trail and down the bank, headed toward the swans, geese, ducks, and fish that make Lake Junaluska such a treasure to the community.
Trash cans are available all around the lake. There is no excuse for such un-civic disrespect. ---------------------------------------------
As the COVID-19 pandemic swelled and expanded across the globe, the common mantra echoed by governments became: Wash your hands! Practice social distancing! Wear a mask!
Responsible citizens have adopted this mantra but, in our efforts to be good citizens and protect each other, we apparently have triggered the law of unintended consequences. Millions of tons of plastic masks and gloves float in our oceans, and waterlogged latex gloves and small bottles of hand sanitizer litter the ocean floor.
The glut of plastic waste has been well-documented, along with heart-breaking photos illustrating its threat to marine life. Species such as sea turtles and seabirds are starving or choking to death, entangled in plastic fishing line, stomachs distended with plastic waste.
Add disposable mask and gloves to the estimated 14 million tons of plastic pollution entering our oceans annually and the situation becomes even more dire. A study in the Environment, Science & Technology journal estimates 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves are being used each month. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) expects 75% of used masks to end up in landfills or floating in the oceans. Masks and gloves continue to wash up on beaches around the world, some attributed to carelessness, others apparently carried by wind from land, landfills and ships.
This “COVID waste” has an estimated life of about 450 years – a long time to travel the globe, entangling marine life and soiling shores throughout its journeys.
Even more disturbing is the potential toxicity of these used masks. Think of the public health risks from infected used masks drifting in the atmosphere. In addition, disposing of COVID waste through open burning or incineration in waste treatment plants can also release toxins into the environment.
What you can do now: Either buy or make a reusable mask that expresses your personality, your beliefs, or your fashion style. Even better—buy or make two or more.
Keep a clean mask in your vehicle where you always remember to put it on in public or with someone who doesn’t live with you. For optimal protection, make sure it’s lined with a nonwoven material. Wash it after every use.
Instead of latex/rubber gloves, wash your hands frequently. Carry hand sanitizer in reusable containers. Masks can be made from common materials such as tightly woven cotton. Instructions are easy to find online.
Understand what can happen when we are careless. Exercise the maturity not to create another tragedy out of the current one.
Don't use face masks as a substitute for social distancing. Do both, and keep washing your hands.
Win-win-win: You’re reducing the dangers posed by the coronavirus to people you love. You’re protecting our oceans and shores simultaneously. Today’s babies and children can inherit a climate they can survive in.
What you need to act now: Buy, reuse, and wash permanent masks. Buy N-95 masks at hardware and home supply stores, decorative masks at shops.
The popular “Keyboards After Christmas” piano ensemble concert will return as an inperson event at 6 p.m. Jan. 8 and 4 p.m. Jan. 9 at the First Baptist Church in Waynesville.
The program will also be recorded and released on Facebook and YouTube. Although admission is free, tickets will be required for those who attend the concert. Because of COVID, attendance is being limited to 250 per concert.
Tickets will be made available to the public beginning on Tuesday, Dec. 28, and can be picked up at the First Baptist Church office, which is open Tuesdays through Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tickets must be picked up and will not be held at the door.
This year’s players are Anna Watson, Carol Brown, Craig Summers, Diane Combs, Hilda Ryan, Jerri Meigs, Kathy Sheppard, Kaye Sebastyn, Marna Dodson, Sarah Smith and Mary Ann Cooper.
For more information, call the church office at 828.456.9465.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday.
Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semi-regular acoustic jam with the Main
Street NoTones from 7 to 9 p.m. on
Thursdays. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on blueridgebeerhub.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.
• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com. regular live music on the weekends. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.
• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host an Open Mic Night 7 to 9 p.m. on
Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host a WNC
Artist Spotlight Open Mic Dec. 29 and Anna
Barnes (Americana) Dec. 30. All events begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.
• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host a
New Year’s Eve Celebration w/Arnold Hill (rock/jam) starting at 8 p.m. Dec. 31. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Innovation-brewing.com. 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Syrrup
Jan. 7 and Alma Russ (indie/folk) Jan. 14. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Steve Heffker Dec. 24, Twelfth Fret 5 p.m. Dec. 26 and Scott James Stambaugh
Dec. 31. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. rathskellerfranklin.com. • Southern Porch (Canton) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.492.8009 or southern-porch.com.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 or theuglydogpub.com.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.8364 or theuglydogpub.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host
Blackjack Country Dec. 30 and a New Year’s
Party w/Carolina Freightshakers Dec. 31. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.
• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.
ALSO:
Interested in learning the dulcimer?
The Pic’ & Play Mountain Dulcimer Players have resumed 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.
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.
Western Carolina University’s Dulcimer U will hold its annual Winter Weekend event on Jan. 6-9 in the Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska.
“This event is for the beginner dulcimer player all the way to advanced players,” said Bobby Hensley, associate director of continuing education. “This is a wonderful weekend of music and fellowship and a great way to learn more about the mountain dulcimer.”
Participants will be able to choose classes based on their skill level during registration. The registration fee will be $199 per person. The fee for non-participating guests is $20.
Directors are Elaine and Larry Conger, with instructors Keith Watson, Ruth Barber, Jeff Furman, Anne Lough and Jim Miller.
Accommodations, classes and meals will all be located at the Lambuth Inn. Participants will need to book their room separate from their registration by calling the Lambuth Inn at 800.222.4930.
University COVID-19 guidelines will be followed during class time. For more information and to register, visit dulcimeru.wcu.edu or call 828.227.7397.
December 22-28, 2021
arts & entertainment
BRYSON CITY
• The popular “Polar Express” train ride is now running from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in downtown Bryson City. For a complete listing of departure dates and times, call 800.872.4681 or click on gsmr.com.
WAYNESVILLE
• “All Through The Town” holiday celebration will run through
Dec. 31 in downtown Waynesville. Participating local businesses, restaurants, galleries and breweries will take extra care in decorating for the holidays, staying open later for shopping, and much more. downtownwaynesville.com.
• The inaugural drive-thru “Christmas Light Show” will be held through Jan. 2 at the Smoky Mountain Event Center (formerly the Haywood County Fairgrounds). Tickets for the nightly show are available online at 38main.com, with only 100 cars per one-hour time slot. This helps reduce wait time and traffic congestion for a more enjoyable experience. “The
Strand of Lights Drive-Thru Christmas and Beyond Light
Show has been created in partnership with a professional light-installation company that specializes in large-scale, outdoor light shows.” said Lorraine Conard, co-owner of The
Strand at 38 Main. Admission is $20 per vehicle. The drivethru winds around the Smoky Mountain Event Center campus for nearly one mile. Play your favorite carols (and singalong) as the route takes you past numerous 2D displays, mixed with lighted buildings and holiday experiences throughout.
• The 41st season of The Shelton House will continue with the “Tinsel Trail & Appalachian Christmas” celebration, which will be held through Jan. 1 at the historic home in
Waynesville. The Shelton House is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday for tours and/or visits to the Gift Shop. House Tours are held on the hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the Gift Shop open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Special events and tours are offered throughout the season.
Group tours can be arranged year-round by calling 828.452.1551 or contacting them at info@sheltonhouse.org. The Shelton House is always looking for volunteers to help with events, tours, the gift shop, archiving, computer work, and much more. If you’re interested in helping out, call 828.452.1551, email info@sheltonhouse.org or stop by during open hours.
December 22-28, 2021
On the street
Want to paint, sip craft beer?
Robin Arramae of WNC Paint Events will be continuing her fun paint nights to bring you not only a “night out,” but an experience that lifts your spirits.
Join others as Arramae shows you step-bystep how to paint a beginner level painting of the evening as you sip on your favorite local craft beer. This two-hour event should have you feeling better than you felt before you came. And you leave with a painting you created.
Events will be held at the following locations: 828 Market on Main (Waynesville), Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva), BearWaters Brewing (Canton) and Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City).
Please visit WNC Paint Events (@paintwnc) Facebook page, under “Events” for date and time of upcoming events. For pictures of previous events visit Arramae’s Instagram: @wnc_paint_events.
For pricing and to sign up, text Arramae at 828.400.9560. Space is limited. Drinks sold separately.
• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 4 p.m. the ALSO: first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood Street in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods.
Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com.
WE RECYCLE WASTE WOOD STUMPS • LIMBS • BRUSH
your friendly, local blue box — smoky mountain news
There will be another installment of “Comedy Night” at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 23, at Mad Anthony’s Taproom & Restaurant in Waynesville.
Comedians include Becca Steinhoff, Art Sturtevent, Jess Cooley, Hilliary Begley and Alex Joyce. Hosted by Josh Merrell.
Admission is $5 at the door. For more information, call 828.246.9249.
On the table
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s
Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. waynesvillewine.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. mountainlovers.com.
• A free wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m. every
Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.
HCAC ‘Small Works’ exhibit
The Haywood County Arts Council’s “Small Works” exhibit will run through Dec. 30 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom in downtown Waynesville.
“This exhibit is our longest and last exhibit of the year, stretching through the new year, and encourages buying art for holiday gifts,” said HCAC Executive Director Morgan Beryl.
Sponsored by Linda & Allen Blount, Janet & Darrell Steinke, and Alison & John Parks, the reception will include libations, snacks, and jazzy holiday music from Clyde’s own Jaime Gardner.
This year, the exhibit is sponsored at the producer level by the Reece Family in honor of their father Jeff Reece, who owned the 86 North Main Street building for many years and is in the process of selling it.
“Jeff loved Main Street and spent a significant portion of his formative years in the family business, Massie’s Department Store. He talked longingly about his days as the projectionist at the Strand Theater as a teenager and eating hot dogs at Felix Stovall’s American Fruit Stand,” said Judy Reece. “As an adult, Jeff was one of the founders of the Downtown Waynesville Association and a Main Street Champion. As we approach the anniversary of his passing, his family wishes to honor his legacy.”
The Small Works Exhibit is an annual exhibit that expands the types of work for sale in the downtown Waynesville gallery, as well as who can display their work. Other than specially curated exhibits, which occur a couple times annually, this exhibit is the only one that allows any artist within the western mountain region to participate for a small fee.
With 48 artists participating, the exhibit promises to be eclectic. Although the only requirement is that the pieces be 12 inches in any dimension or smaller, HCAC challenged participants who are making holiday themed works to consider artistic expressions that are multicultural in nature and celebrate the many different holidays, ways of celebrating, and ways of experiencing holidays.
HCAC also encouraged participants to create works that celebrate Appalachian heritage and craft.
“Our vision is that this exhibit embodies not only the giving spirit, but also a multi-cultural spirit that speaks to the diversity of people, cultures, and religions that make up western Appalachia,” Beryl said.
For more information, click on haywoodarts.org.
• Jesse Adair Dallas will be showing his artwork at the Macon County Public Library in
Franklin through the month of December.
Open to the public. For more information, email jesse@enjoyarttoday.com.
• “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 franklinuptowngallery.com and follow the Uptown Gallery on Facebook.
• “Art Works @ The Library,” a collaborative program between the Haywood County
Public Library system and the Haywood
County Arts Council, 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.
ALSO:
New directors at Cherokee museum
The Museum of the Cherokee Indian.
The Museum of the Cherokee Indian is expanding its leadership with the appointment of two new directors.
Evan Mathis has joined the museum as its director of collections and exhibitions to manage the care, safety, and security of the MCI’s paper and object collections and assist in the scheduling, design, and implementation of exhibitions.
Michael Slee has been appointed director of operations to oversee the museum’s day-today operations, including facilities, financials, front line, and external affairs.
Mathis comes to the MCI from the supply department of Cherokee Indian Hospital, which he led as manager. While not an enrolled member, Mathis is an artist of Cherokee descent with close ties to the community.
He began creating traditional Cherokee beadwork at age 15 and has traveled throughout the United States to study historic Cherokee beaded objects and material culture.
Mathis graduated from University of North Carolina Charlotte with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and is currently enrolled in the Museum Studies Certificate Program at the Institute of American Indian Arts. He resides in Whittier, where he continues to bead and handcraft moccasins.
Slee arrived at the museum following a decade at EBCI Transit, where he most recently served as assistant manager. He is a graduate of Western Carolina University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and law.
A citizen of the EBCI, Slee is a member of the Longhair Clan and a member of both Raven Rock Stomp Grounds and the Walelu Indian Ball Team. He resides in the Birdtown community of Cherokee with his wife and three children.
“We cast a wide net for these positions as they are vital to us reaching for our vision,” said MCI Executive Director Shana Bushyhead Condill. “Evan brings a combination of leadership and collections experience to his position and is also a maker which gives him expertise in the care of Cherokee collections specifically. Michael is a proven leader in operations and an active community member, which gives him a perspective the museum needs as we continue to build. We are excited to welcome them to the team and have them jump right into our exciting plans for the future.”
Both directors share an interest in fostering a welcoming, community-centered environment at the MCI, holding trust and accessibility as core values.
“The museum board and I are so excited to welcome the new Director of Collections and Exhibitions and Director of Operations,” MCI Board President Samantha Ferguson said. “Michael and Evan come to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience sharing our goal of serving the Cherokee people. As our staff continues to grow, I continue to be amazed and grateful for a team with a commitment not only to our mission but to us as a Cherokee community.”
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 12,000 years of Cherokee history to life. Located in Cherokee, the Museum is open daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
For more information, visit mci.org.
