Asheville's River Arts District hosts a studio stroll this weekend

For the 15th year in a row, the Asheville River District artists will be opening their doors this weekend for one of their bi-annual studio strolls. For two days the public can see the work of over 110 artists. This event is always very popular and is a great way to see the work of some of Asheville's best local artists.

This year, Asheville Historic Trolley Tours will be providing shuttle service to the event. For $5.00 you have hop on and off privileges all day. Drivers will provide narrative history during the ride. The Trolley stops at many hotels in the area.

The Studio Stroll is free and open to the public. Most studios are in walking distance of each other and there is plenty of free parking. There are also some great restaurants you can check out including the local favorite Twelve Bones, Clingman Cafe and Twin Cousins Kitchen.

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Faces of Asheville

Now showing at the Satellite Gallery in Downtown Asheville is a photo project two years in the making. The Faces of Asheville premiered last Friday with a large group in attendance at the opening. Jenny Bowen, the artist behind the camera, took hundreds of photos of the people that make Asheville so unique.

The project was designed to showcase the individuals that make up this great community. Participants spent about 20 minutes with Bowen during each shoot. Everyone was encouraged to bring an item of significance to help reflect their character in the photo. Everyone was also asked to write about their experiences in Asheville and how they would like to see the city grow over time. These stories along with the photos will be archived at the University of North Carolina Asheville library for future exhibitions.

Doing this project has been no easy task for Bowen. In 2007, after she had already started the project, her home was broken into and all of her computer and camera equipment was stolen. With the equipment went the initial photographs she had taken. However, the community believed so much in this project that they came together with funding to help her get started again. The payoff was evident this past week as the gallery opened it's doors to reveal the final product.

Everyone should go see this intriguing show while in town. If you're visiting Asheville and need a hotel room, visit here.

Huge Music Week in Asheville!

This week is going to be great for all types of music fans as Asheville is about to jam with some of the most influential names in music.

This Tuesday, the Asheville Civic Center will play host to one of the largest jam bands ever. To the delight of many fans, Phish returns to the stage after a five year hiatus. Tickets for this event sold out immediately, but you can bet that it will not deter the thousands of people who did not get a ticket from coming to the venue. Anyone who has ever attended a Phish show knows that the band is only half of the action. The scene surrounding a concert has historically been huge. According to the Asheville Citizen Times, an earlier performance this year at Hampton VA, had 5,000 people without a ticket surround the venue. To prepare, Asheville streets are being blocked off to accommodate the possibility of such a large number of people. If you have tickets you need to come early!

However, it doesn't stop there. This Wednesday, Asheville is getting a surprise visit from the Beastie Boys! The show, which was announced just last week, also sold out within minutes of tickets going on sale. They will be playing at The Orange Peel, one of the top venues to see a show according to the Rolling Stone Magazine. All tickets purchased are at will call and cannot be transferred. That's bad news for scalpers, but even worse news for fans who hoped to get a ticket the night of the show. For the 900 fans who were lucky enough to score tickets then they will enjoy an intimate club show that only The Orange Peel can provide. This show is part of nine show series by the Beastie Boys and precedes next week's show at Bonnaroo. Coincidently, Phish will also be playing two shows at the same festival in Tennessee next week.

The week rounds out with a performance by the punk group X. The band that hails from Los Angeles had minimal mainstream success, but was considered very influential for the genre. They will also be playing at The Orange Peel this Thursday. The show starts at 8:00PM and tickets are still available.

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