Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
More of what’s happening as we near the week’s end:
–The Barleycorn restaurant in Asheville has closed for good. A sign went up over the Labor Day weekend announcing that the restaurant would be closed for a couple of days, but word on the street is the closure is permanent. The restaurant opened about two years ago and I personally always thought the food, drink and service was pretty solid. RIP Barleycorn.
–The Altamont Theatre has announced a residency with the Asheville improv comedy troupe Reasonably Priced Babies. They’ll be performing the second Friday night of every month, at 8 pm. These are all 18+ shows with doors at 7 pm. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $15 for VIP (guaranteed seating in first three rows). The first show is Sept. 9. The group includes Tom Chalmers, Karen Stobbe, Mondy Carter, Josh Batenhorst and with Aaron Price on the piano.
-The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) and the Blue Ridge Electric Vehicle Club have joined forces with NASCAR driver and outspoken environmental advocate, Leilani Münter, to host the 3rd annual Drive Electric Car Show and Ride this Sunday, Sept. 11, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at the Asheville Outlets, according to a press release. Münter will deliver opening remarks at 12:30 p.m. and be available for interviews. Local electric vehicle (EV) owners will be present to answer questions about EVs, charging options and offer free EV rides. Local dealerships including Asheville Chevrolet and Harmony Motors, who sell EVs and plug in electric hybrids, will be present with the latest line up of electric and hybrid cars on the market.
–RiverLink will host Julian Price: Envisioning Community. Investing in People, a film directed by Erin Derham featuring music by The Asheville Symphony Sessions on Friday, Sept. 16, at 4:30 p.m. The event takes place at the RiverLink office at 170 Lyman Street in the River Arts District, with parking available at 12Bones (map), and features a Q&A session afterward. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit RiverLink. Space is limited so reserve tickets by clicking here.
-In celebration of American Craft Week (October 1 – 16), Grovewood Gallery in Asheville will connect local makers with the public on Saturday, October 8 from 11 am – 4 pm. We will be hosting open studios as well as craft demonstrations by local artists Josh Cote’ and Matt Tommey, who has a studio in Asheville’s river Arts District. Now in its 7th year, American Craft Week has become the country’s largest celebration of the craft industry. Please see the attached press release for more information.
–The Wa Le Lu “Hummingbirds” team from Cherokee will demonstrate the sport of Cherokee stickball at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 15 at the intramural fields on UNC Asheville’s campus. This event is free and open to the public and part of the university’s Native American Speaker and Performance Series.
–The Biltmore Estate has announced that a new exhibition of costumes from popular movies will go on display in February 2017. From the press release:
A collection of classic literary works and the popular movies that brought them to life will be celebrated in “Designed for Drama: Fashion from the Classics,” Biltmore’s newest exhibition of award-winning costumes and objects from the Biltmore collection.
Set for Feb. 10 through July 4, 2017, the exhibition is inspired by favorite stories in George Vanderbilt’s 22,000-volume library. More than 40 elaborate costumes from recent films will be displayed in Biltmore House, including a costume worn by Robert Downey Jr. in “Sherlock Holmes,” and Nicole Kidman’s Isabel Archer costume from “The Portrait of a Lady.”
The film fashions will be displayed along with the original books from Vanderbilt’s library that served as cinematic inspiration. The clothing reveals the attention to detail involved in period costume design.
Vanderbilt began to read at a very young age, and years later he was once dubbed by New York media as “one of the best read men in the country.” At age 12, he started keeping a record of books read, numbered consecutively, including the title and author of each work completed. These journals log 38 years and 3,159 books, and will be on display during this exhibition.
The exhibition will also give insight into the eclectic and varied interests that led Vanderbilt to collect more than 22,000 volumes before his death.
Admission to “Designed for Drama: Fashion from the Classics,” is included in the general admission ticket price. For more information, visit www.biltmore.com/designedfordrama.
–Buncombe County Recreation Services has opened the 2016-2017 cycle of Community Recreation Grants. The grants focus on supplemental funding for qualified organizations within Buncombe County to promote recreational, fitness, and health and wellness initiatives as well as community-based activities and capital improvements that increase recreational opportunities for the communities served. Grants may range in amounts from $500 – $6,000, depending on the amount of funding available and the number of qualifying applicants. Eligible entities include Buncombe County non-profits focused on recreational, fitness, and health and wellness activities. The grant application deadline is Friday, October 14, 2016. Late applications will be rejected. The Community Recreation Grant Committee will review the applications during October with all organizations being notified via e-mail no later than November 1, 2016. The complete rules and regulations, grant announcement letter and grant application, can be viewed a thttp://www.buncomberecreation.org.
-From Pisgah Legal Services, an update on their big poverty forum event:
Demand for tickets has been high for Pisgah Legal Services’ Poverty Forum this year with lifelong activist and child poverty expert Marian Wright Edelman. The Oct. 5th event has been moved to Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at the US Cellular Center in Asheville to accommodate a larger audience, and tickets are now back on sale.
The forum, now in its sixth year, will feature Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, as the keynote speaker. A graduate of Spelman College and Yale Law School, Edelman was the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar and directed the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Mississippi.
During the Poverty Forum, Edelman will share the results of a new Children’s Defense Fund study, “Ending Child Poverty Now.” It shows that making modest investments in existing programs and policies, the nation could reduce child poverty by 60 percent and lift 6.6 million children out of poverty. A panel comprised of local representatives who work to address child poverty will follow Edelman’s address to discuss issues specific to our Western North Carolina region.
The forum begins at 7:00p.m. Tickets are $15 per person. More information can be found and tickets can be purchased online or call 828-210-3405.