Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Some of what’s going around:
–Market Connections, an Asheville advertising agency, is looking to hire an art director.
–Aloft Asheville Downtown has won the 2016 Starwood Cares for the Community Hotel Volunteer Award for the North American region, according to a press release. More:
Aloft Asheville Downtown was chosen as a finalist from over 800 hotels across North America, and 3,000 Starwood associates voted to select them as the winner. In Asheville, they are recognized for their ongoing commitment to giving back to organizations including Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue, Homeward Bound, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Mission Health Children’s Hospital. Last year, the hotel’s team of 55 associates participated in 15 volunteer events to benefit the Asheville community. In addition to this award, the Aloft director of sales, Christine Kavanagh was named Sales Leader of the Year by Starwood and the Aloft food and beverage director was honored with a Starwood Cares for the Community Individual award.
-To celebrate the Centennial year of the National Park Service, all things Blue Ridge Parkway, and to fund-raise for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Ray Russell is running the entire 469 mile trek of the BRP from north to south beginning May 17th. The plan is for him to finish in about a month’s time. Russell is the founder of the popular local weather forecasting site raysweather.com.
-An April 29 show at Asheville Bookworks called The Riso Museum will show off the Risograph printing process, something that Woolly Press in Asheville specializes in. More:
The Riso Museum is an introduction to the Risograph (Riso) printing process and a celebration of Riso culture and its users. The Risograph is a stencil-based digital press, popularized in the copy rooms of the late 90’s corporate environment. Churches, law firms, and other small to medium organizations used the Riso as a method to produce large inexpensive runs of one to two color editions. The Risograph slowly disappeared from this landscape due to the influx of laser printers and other modern techniques, but has relocated to design studios, art departments, and DIY-house basements.
The exhibition is made up of Risograph artifacts, objects from the printing process, as well as works from a variety of Risograph presses from around the world. Emphasis is placed on the Riso as an object and pieces that exhibit its idiosyncrasies. Selected works include Riso print guides, color charts, artistic prints, and publications. The Riso Museum is curated by Mica Mead and Colin Sutherland of Woolly Press, an Asheville based Risograph design and print shop.
–Asheville-area brewers are part of a collaboration beer that will raise money for Equality North Carolina, a group that supports the LGBT community. The beer is being made in reaction to a new state law known as HB2 that removes discrimination projections for gays, lesbians and transgender people. The beer will be called Don’t Be Mean to People: A Golden Rule (Saison). Local brewers include Thirsty Monk, Wedge Brewing, Innovation Brewing, Heinzelmannchen Brewing, New Belgium, Riverbend Malt House and Land of Sky Mobile Canning.
-Speaking of beer, Fat Tire Amber Ale is being made at New Belgium Brewing’s new Asheville brewery. “With production ramping up over the next few years, the 500,000 barrel capacity, 127,000 square-foot brewery gives the country’s fourth-largest craft brewer 1.5 million barrels of total capacity,” according to a press release. The brewery’s tasting room will open May 2, and brewery tours will begin later this summer.
-Two new developments recently passed muster at the Asheville Technical Review committee level: Patton Place, a 116-apartment-unit, 124,216-square-foot, 4-story building and 5 stories of associated structured parking at 248 Patton Avenue (at the intersection of Clingman Avenue); and a 2-story, 75,000-square-foot retail building and an 8,000-square-foot retail building on 44.8 acres at Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Road.