Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall!

The Summer has flown by, and it seems that I am at the end of my internship. It's going to be sad to leave this wonderful museum, but I too must move on. Still, there are too many events coming up this fall, that I am sure I will make my way back here one way or another. For the past week I have been frantically updating all of our online calendars so that everyone will be up to speed with these fall events at the Art Museum and in doing so I have come across some great, can't miss events. So I thought, what better way to end my blogging than on a happy, exciting note. So, I countdown for you my top five events for the Asheville Art Museum fall season.

Number Five:
This fall Asheville Art Museum will be starting a new book club, Discussion Bound. Meeting the second Tuesday of each month the group will discuss books that correlate with art in the museum. This group is free with membership or museum admission.

Number Four:
Any of the Lunch Time Art Breaks. We have some amazing art in this museum, and what better way to fully understand it all then to dive into it with a museum staff member. Led by either one of our wonderful docents or knowledgeable curatorial staff member, these Art breaks provide more than just information about the art. From 12-1 it's the perfect break from work, so why not get more for your lunch?

Number Three:
The Art Museum is lucky enough to have some amazing film screenings throughout the year. One film I am most excited to see, Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, will be playing November 28 with continuous showings from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This is a free event and well worth a look. Using the AIDS Memorial Quilt as a starting point, this film humanizes the disease and illustrates its carnage, showing how it devastates families and communities.

Number Two:
On September 12 The Exhibition opening of Looking Forward: New Works and New Collections for the Permanent Collection brings to light the significant growth that has occurred in recent years. It also showcases some of the areas in which the Museum has collected in depth, including work by Black Mountain College artists, Cherokee artists and Western North Carolina studio craft.

NUMBER ONE:
A Taste of Wine + Art!! Usually a sell out event, this is sure to be an exciting night at the Asheville Art Museum. With local restaurants providing food, an array of different types of wine, and a small collection of unique gifts up for bid, this night will showcase all that Asheville is known for. The date is set for Thursday, September 10 from 6:30 to 9:00 and ticket prices range from $30 per person/$55 per couple for Museum Members and $35 per person/$65 per couple for Non Members. I would suggest, buying your tickets NOW!!

So there you have it, my top five events at the museum this fall! But these are only my top five, there are many more, some that you may even like better! I encourage everyone to take a look at the online calender (www.ashevilleart.org) Or come by in the next month and pick up a Profile. I hope everyones fall goes as well as my summer went! (maybe not as fast though)

Read Any Good Books?

Read any good books lately? I bet many of you didn’t know that here at the museum we have one pretty amazing library filled with books, catalogs, and even movies featuring all types of artwork and artists. I, myself, just learned how impressive this library actually is after sitting down to speak with the library volunteers. (Which, might I add, are some of the most dedicated of all the Museum staff). A little room off to the side, the Asheville Art Museum’s Library was created during the last Museum expansion in late 1999/2000. Though small in size the library holds an impressive amount of literature. While the emphasis rests on 20th and 21st Century American Art, there is at least one book that represents almost every major art period around the world. The library also holds a small TV where you can watch any of the DVDs or VHS that the library has. As a staple in the community, the Art Museum is happy to inspire those who wish to fulfill their dreams artistically. We provide for the community one of the largest collections of Art books in the WNC area. Tourists, students, collectors, anyone is welcomed to come browse our books. The community plays an important part in the library's existence. Almost every book in the library has been generously donated from members of the community and meticulously cataloged by volunteers. Without the generous help of so many, this library wouldn’t be half of what it is today. Still, there is always room to grow, and the museum is always open for new donations or even those who wish to help catalog. The more books we receive the better the library so please donate!

In conjunction with this library, "book-mania" I am happy to announce a new book club here at the Asheville Art Museum this fall. "Discussion Bound" will meet every second Tuesday from 3:00 to 5:00 starting in October. By reading books that correlate with the art in our galleries, we look forward to exchanging ideas and learning about books, art and each other! Discussions will be held in our lovely library with ventures into the galleries to have a 360 view into the book the art and each other. The line up for this season: I Bought Andy Warhol, by Richard Polsky; Bluebeard: A Novel, by Kurt Vonnegut; and Collections of Nothing, by William Davies King.

So, next time someone asks you if you've read any good books lately... you can say proudly: "Thanks to The Asheville Art Museum, I have!"