It's the height of summer in North America, making it the perfect time for a getaway. Embark on a thrilling summer adventure with this episode as your trusty travel guide. In today’s podcast, intrepid host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power shares his recent escapade to Asheville, NC, a vibrant arts community he dubs “the capital of American craft.”
Scott shares a sneak peek into Asheville’s unique facets, from its rich glass and textile production history to its stunning natural vistas. Tucked into the Blue Ridge Appalachian Mountains, the area is perfect for sightseeing, hiking, and exploring. Listening in, you’ll learn what to expect during your visit and how to make the most of your sightseeing in Asheville. Whether you're an artist, art lover, or simply a curious explorer, you'll be captivated by Asheville’s pristine natural beauty and impressive array of contemporary American art and craft.
To arrange a studio tour in the Asheville area, please contact Art Connections, which specializes in connecting visitors with artists and their work. To learn more about Asheville, please subscribe to our sister podcast at ArtsvilleUSA, which covers the vibrant arts and crafts scene in Asheville and its neighboring counties.
Key Points From This Episode:
- The valuable partnerships that made the ArtsvilleUSA Podcast possible
- Natural and manmade beauty you can expect in Asheville, North Carolina
- Insight into the history and provenance of art and craft making in the area
- Why we suggest you visit Asheville (and who we recommend to show you around!)
- Challenges that the region is facing and how your support can help
Quotes:
“As we're embarking upon our summer and we're looking for travel ideas and trips to take and make, I would encourage you to think about trying to get to – Asheville, North Carolina – and become inspired by the history and the artists working there.” — Scott “Sourdough” Power [0:09:08]
“Western North Carolina [is] not a wine region. It's an art region. Like a wine region, there are artists all around with their studios. You can go, and you can look at the art and meet the artists and buy the art, just like you can with wine in a wine region.” — Scott “Sourdough” Power [0:11:17]
Longer Quotes:
“Over the last many, many decades, that particular part of the country was our furniture manufacturing hub, our textile manufacturing hub. All of this industry grew out of a tradition of craft – Many of the skills and techniques were brought over from various European countries – however, the Cherokee Nation – also taught about the materials there and various techniques. This culture of craft-making [in Asheville] grew out of and from very historical reasons. There's a provenance there. There's a legacy there. There's a tradition there. It's not just because a few artists moved there 30 years ago and built up this community. No. This community was born of – [a] unique history.” — Scott “Sourdough” Power [0:05:25]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Artsville — https://www.artsvilleusa.com/
Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center — https://www.blackmountaincollege.org/
Penland School of Craft — https://penland.org/
Art Connections with Sherry Masters — https://www.arttoursasheville.com/
‘Announcing the 2024 NOT REAL ART Grant Recipients’ — https://notrealart.com/2024-not-real-art-grant-recipients/
Not Real Art — https://www.notrealart.com/
First Fridays — https://notrealart.com/exhibitions/
Remote – https://notrealart.com/remote-exploring-public-art/
Not Real Art Hotline — 833-668-7325
Scott “Sourdough” Power — https://www.notarealartist.com/