2010 Riverwalk Arts & Crafts Festival takes place on
Saturday, August 21 in Newland

Linville, NC  – Gather the family and get ready for fun, the return of an old tradition is upon us -- the 2010 Riverwalk Arts and Crafts Festival! For more than 30 years the Avery Arts Council has hosted artisans from all over the southeast in a juried arts and crafts marketplace. The shady sidewalks of Newland’s Riverwalk Park are once again the site for vendors from across the region on Saturday, August 21, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Art comes in all shapes and styles, from handmade rugs, wood working, quilted hand bags and accessories, to hand made paper goods, all shapes and sizes of jewelry, as well as paintings, sketches, and prints.  Patrons can look forward to seeing new work from their favorite artisans as about half of the 40+ vendors are return participants.  Another two dozen have been juried in with new wares to tempt shoppers.            

The Riverwalk Arts and Crafts Festival is not the only crafty fun taking place the weekend of the 21st. Be sure to stop by the Avery County Library to see the annual quilt show presented by the Riverwalk Quilt Guild. More one-of-a-kind shopping can be had by heading over to Banner Elk for the Fine Arts & Mastercrafts Festival sponsored by the Avery Chamber of Commerce.

The Festival takes place at the Riverwalk Park in Newland, which makes getting to and from a snap.  Simply park in the lot at the Lowes Grocery store and stroll on over. No need to leave the area for lunch; Festival food vendors will be offering all the usual good fare, from Paul Dellinger’s hot dogs to Italian ice from the Avery Smooth Dancers.  A new feature this year is Old Time Creation’s “Cruzin Diner,” the snack bar on wheels that looks like a 50’s diner!  And don’t forget to drop by the Arts Council tent to get a custom face paint or temporary tattoo from Trish Daniels, Avery’s own face painter extraordinaire.
The Riverwalk Arts and Crafts Festival takes place on Saturday, August 21, from 9am-5pm. For more information, contact the Avery Arts Council office at 828-733-0054, or visit www.averycountyartscouncil.org

The Avery County Arts Council is a non-profit organization working to enrich the people of Avery County through meaningful arts and cultural experiences.  For more than 30 years the council has helped support school arts programs and has served as a resource for artists and the community. 

Avery Arts Council Has Moved to Linville

Banner Elk – The Avery Arts Council’s relocation to new quarters in Linville is official!  It’s been a hectic month, but help has arrived in all shapes and sizes to make the move possible.  Renovations are in the expert hands of master contractor Vaughn Hughes and his team from Vonco Custom Homes.  Generous donations of building materials from New River Building Supply have greatly helped to ease the cost worries.  Many other friends have stepped up as well with cash donations for the renovation fund.   On Saturday, July 24th, a dozen cool volunteers broke a sweat to paint the new office and gallery. It was hot, but that just made the custom mixed Benjamin Moore paint donated by Boone Paint dry in a jiffy.  President-elect Brian Powers has been everywhere doing everything:  pre-renovation tear out with the help of Craig Franz; painter extraordinaire; and creator and hanger of the great banner which marks the site of the new Avery Arts Council home.  Sincere thanks go to painters Robin Morehouse, Gerry Olsen, Karen Martin, Lucy Geouge, Alaina Daniels, and Tessa Carr.  Jessie Schmitt and Trish Daniels got going on garden modifications and were helped along by a donation of perennials from Sara Gregory of Mountaineer Garden Center in Banner Elk.  As with any move, there will be plenty to do for awhile yet, but the basics have been accomplished thanks to good friends and elbow grease.

Now that the Avery Arts Council has taken up residence at the new space, the next logical thing to do is to have a gallery opening.   The public is invited to a reception for the inaugural exhibition on Sunday August 15, from 2 - 5.  “New Pots and Old Friends” will showcase the new work of Linville River Pottery’s Patti Connor-Greene.  In addition, paintings from a variety of area artists will be the first works to adorn the new space.  With fund raising still a priority, the Council is offering raffle tickets for a prize of a 22” flat screen television donated by MHS Technologies of Newland.  The prize drawing will take place at the August 15 opening reception. Tickets are $10/each, and can be purchased by phone with credit or debit card, or by visiting the Council office .  

The Avery Arts Council is now located at 77 Ruffin Street, behind the Old Hampton Store in Linville.  Gallery hours are Wednesday – Sunday, 10 AM – 5 PM.  The Arts Council has a new phone number:  733-0054.  Website and email addresses remain as before:  www.averycountyartscouncil.org  and info@averycountyartscouncil.org.

Top photo: Brian Powers hangs the Arts Council banner on the Linville building; middle photo: Avery Arts friends Gerry Olsen and Karen Martin get creative with paint.

Greater Avery Coalition of Galleries
Expanding 2010 Season

The Greater Avery County Coalition of Galleries—affectionately known as “COG”—has survived infancy, leap-frogged childhood and is careening into adulthood. Initiated last year on little more than a brainstorm, a gathering and ample consumption of wine, gallery owners and studio artists of Foscoe, Shulls Mill, Matney, Banner Elk, Valle Crucis, Linville, Pineola and Crossnore formed an alliance of friendship and business cooperation that survives and thrives today. With a desire to highlight the rich artistic talent inherent in our region, the rambunctious result was a monthly gallery ramble—called “Tour de Art”—around the curves and swerves of the High Country—from June through October. Read more ...