Arts advocates will have TWO opportunities to advance arts education policy, secure public funding, and support legislation for an arts license plate. Registration is now open for ARTS EDUCATION ADVOCACY DAY, strategically scheduled for the opening day of The State of the Arts Education Conference March 5-7 at Meredith College in Raleigh. Registration will open for ARTS Day 2009, May 5-6, in early February.

ARTS EDUCATION ADVOCACY DAY Thursday, March 5th, 9am – 1pm, North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina General Assembly. Cost: $30; member rate $25 (includes lunch). Citizen engagement with elected officials works. The most effective advocacy is constituent to elected official. ARTS North Carolina’s job is to make that process simple and efficient. Your job is to bring your passion, your experiences, and your friends, neighbors, and colleagues to Raleigh on March 5th and speak for arts education. Every individual action counts and is absolutely necessary to affect change.

Goals:
•To practice collective action and unified communication about the critical need for arts education policy in North Carolina
•To support the report of the Joint Select Committee on Arts Education, which includes a recommendation for legislation to require a high school graduation requirement in the arts
•To build advocacy networks and practices that are essential for change

Schedule: Thursday, March 5th
•9am: Advocacy Training – Must attend before making Legislative Visits
•11am – 1pm: Legislative Visits – Attendees meet with their Senators and Representatives to discuss the arts education agenda
•1pm: Travel to State of the Arts Education Conference or attend keynote address by Jack Lew* to members of the North Carolina General Assembly

In Advance of March 5th: Arts Education Advocacy Day attendees will need to call their Senators’ and Representatives’ offices to make an appointment for the March 5th visit. ARTS North Carolina provides complete information on how to do this, contact information, and what to say. Setting the appointment will need to happen two weeks before March 5th, after registration is complete. Questions?  Call Tony or Karen at 919/834-1411 or info@artsnc.org

Twenty-five exercises: A Class in Fiction and Memoir (Lang 372, 2 credit hours)
Abigail DeWitt
Focusing on the art of story-telling, both fictional and autobiographical, we will use a series of twenty-five exercises designed to help you find your richest material, develop complex characters, write compelling dialogue and strengthen your voice. We’ll do free-writing, imaginary character interviews, sensory-based exercises and more. Experienced and beginning writers are equally welcome. Whether you have been writing stories for years or simply keep a private journal, the biggest challenges are often the same: how to overcome writer’s block and articulate the deepest truths you know. We’ll look to our experienced writers for examples of craft and technique, and to our true beginners for the energy and optimism without which no story can be written. Recommended reading: Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande.
Abigail DeWitt has been teaching creative writing to students of all levels for over twenty years. A regular faculty member at the Duke Writer’s Workshop, she has also taught at Harvard University Summer School, Appalachian State University, UNC Asheville and Simmons College. She received her BA in English from Harvard University and her MFA in Creative Writing from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and is the author of a novel, Lili, as well as numerous short stories.
10-week class, Starts February 18, Wednesday afternoons, 4:00-6:30pm in Burnsville at the Mountain Heritage Center on Green Mountain Drive.
Cost: Please make checks payable to UNCA. Payment must accompany all applications. Please allow 3-4 weeks for refunds.
Visiting Student Application (one-time) Fee: $20 In-State Residents (apply to those meeting N.C. residency requirements). Tuition and technology fees are $86.06 per credit hour: 2-credit-hour course (10 weeks): $172.12. Non-State Residents Tuition and technology fees are $468.83 per credit hour: 2-credit-hour course (10 weeks): $937.66.
Class Size: To ensure that students receive individual attention from the instructor, enrollment in each class is limited. In some cases, the instructor’s permission is required for admission. See course descriptions where applicable.
Registration Information: Please come to the office of Extension and Distance Education, 122 Karpen Hall, CPO #2140 to complete an application or call 828/232-5122, or e-mail fox@unca.edu. Applications are also available at the following website: www.unca.edu/gswp

Asheville Art Museum

Current Exhibitions (As of Feb 1, 2009)

Ashcans, Trains and Factories: Students and Followers of The Eight
Friday, Sept 19-Sunday, Feb 1, 2009 at Holden Community Gallery

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Projects
Jan 16-May 3, 2009 at Gallery 6

WNC Regional Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition
Jan 24-Feb 12, 2009 at the Pack Place Community Gallery

Eva Zeisel: The Shape of Life
Jan 30-May 10, 2009 at the Appleby Foundation Gallery

Exhibitions Opening in February:
Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa
Feb 6-June 7, 2009 at the Holden Community Gallery

Feb 2009 Events

Sunday, Feb 1, 1 to 5 p.m.
Last Day to View Ashcans, Trains and Factories: Students and Followers of The Eight
Free with Museum Membership or Admission. This exhibition features the work of artists influenced by The Eight’s emphasis on scenes of contemporary urban life. The exhibition includes works by Robert Brackman, Alexander Kruse, Reginald Marsh, Elizabeth Olds, Walter Pack, Raphael Soyer, Eugene Thomason and others. These works are drawn from the collection of the Asheville Art Museum.

Thursday, Feb 5, 7 pm.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Works in Progress with Q+A at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. The Asheville Art Museum’s smArt speak: Distinguished Artist Series presents internationally acclaimed artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude on Thursday, Feb 5th, 2009. The artistic team will talk about their five decades of work together that includes surrounding 11 islands in Miami’s Biscayne Bay with pink floating fabric in 1983 and placing 7,503 gates made of saffron-colored cloth along paths in New York’s City’s Central Park in 2005. Tickets available at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Box Office. $28 General Admission, $14 Students and $24 Museum Members. Online, www.ticketmaster.com, per ticket and per order processing fees apply. Charge-by-Phone, 828-251-5505, per ticket and per order processing fees apply. Patron tickets that include admission to the event, preferred seating and a special dinner with the artists are also available by calling 828.253.3227.

Friday, Feb 6, 12 to 1 pm.
Art Break, Eva Zeisel: The Shape of Life Docent-Led Tour
Free with Museum Membership or Admission
Join us Friday, Feb 6th from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. for an exciting Docent-Led Tour of Eva Zeisel: The Shape of Life! This informative, conversational tour makes your Friday lunch break something to look forward to on Feb 6th.

Friday, Feb 6, 5 pm.
Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa Opens. Free with Museum Membership or Admission. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Asheville Art Museum will present an exhibition examining the photography of George Masa including his seminal images of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This exhibition will demonstrate why Masa has been called “the Ansel Adams of the Appalachian Mountains.”

Sunday, Feb 8, 2 to 4 pm.
Opening Reception with Gallery Tours_Eva Zeisel: The Shape of Life and Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa. Free with Museum Membership or Admission. Join us Sunday, Feb 8th for an opening reception for Eva Zeisel: The Shape of Life and Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa. Enjoy light refreshments and gallery tours during this lively afternoon reception.

Thursday, Feb 12, 10 am to 5 pm.
Last Day to View WNC Regional Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition. Free with Museum Membership or Admission. The Asheville Art Museum, with the assistance of its volunteer docents, partners with the Asheville Area Section of the American Institute of Architects each year to sponsor the Western North Carolina Regional Scholastic Art Awards. Middle school and high school students from 20 counties and the City of Asheville are invited to submit work for this special juried competition and are honored along with their teachers at this ceremony in Diana Wortham Theatre.

Saturday, Feb 14, 2 pm. Film Screening: Running Fence. Free with Museum Membership or Admission. This film documents the multi-year process of the creation of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, a 24-mile long, 18-foot high fabric “fence” which spanned two counties in California. Beautifully photographed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles, this film speaks to Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s powerful transformative effects on community. Held in conjunction with smArt speak: Distinguished Artist Series with Christo and Jeanne-Claude and the exhibition Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Projects.

Sunday, Feb 15, 2 pm. Western North Carolina Regional Scholastic Art Awards Cermony at the Diana Wortham Theatre. The Asheville Art Museum, with the assistance of its volunteer docents, partners with the Asheville Area Section of the American Institute of Architects each year to sponsor the Western North Carolina Regional Scholastic Art Awards. Middle school and high school students from 20 counties and the City of Asheville are invited to submit work for this special juried competition. The Museum regularly sends 20 to 25 gold award recipients’ work on to the National Scholastic Art Competition. In addition to the national awards, the Museum also selects one artwork that best represents Western North Carolina, which is placed on exhibition in the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh. If you know a student that is interested in participating, please have them contact their art teacher who will have information regarding submission of artwork.

Thursday, Feb 19, 7 pm. Special Film Screening at the The Gates Fine Arts Theatre. $12 General Admission; $10 Asheville Art Museum Members, Students and Seniors. After 26 years of fighting bureaucracy, Christo and Jeanne-Claude succeeded in transforming 23 miles of New York City’s Central Park paths into a saffron-colored, snow-filled winter wonderland. This film by Antonio Ferrara and the award-winning documentary pioneer, Albert Maylses, follows the artists from project inception in 1979 through to its stunning completion. This special screening opportunity is highly anticipated. Held in conjunction with smArt speak: Distinguished Artist Series with Christo and Jeanne-Claude and the exhibition Christo and Jeanne-Claude:Projects.

Friday, Feb 20, 12 to 1 pm. Art Break, Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa with Lynne Poirier-Wilson, Special Projects Curator. Free with Museum Membership or Admission. Join Special Projects Curator, Lynne Poirier-Wilson for an informative tour.

Saturday, Feb 21, 5 to 7 pm._Lecture + Tour + Reception. George Masa: Enduring Photos, Enduring Mysteries at the The Forum in Pack Place and Asheville Art Museum. $20 Members, $25 Non-Members. Filmmaker Paul Bonesteel (The Mystery of George Masa, 2002) will discuss the photographs and life of George Masa (1881 – 1933, born Masahara Iizuka in Japan) and his connections with The Grove Park Inn and The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, including material and theories that emerged after the completion of his film. Bonesteel will also discuss Masa’s role in the upcoming film by Ken Burns on the National Park System. After the talk, enjoy a reception and tour of Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa. Held in conjunction with the exhibition Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa and The Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference.

Continuing Events

January 12-Feb 16
Yoga @ the Museum
Six Mondays, 4 to 5 pm.
Free for Museum Members; $6 per class Non-Members. What better setting for yoga than in the quiet and beauty of an art gallery? Start your new year on the right foot as you relax and enjoy the benefits of the Asheville Art Museum’s new program Yoga @ the Museum. Certified yoga instructor, Kim Zdanowicz, will teach gentle yoga poses during this six-week introductory course focusing on flexibility, balance, strength and relaxation. All levels are welcome. Please bring your own mat and wear comfortable clothing. Class limited to 12 people. Reservations are encouraged. For more information or to reserve a spot, contact Kim Zdanowicz at 828.253.3227, ext. 116 or kzdanowicz@ashevilleart.org.

Jan 27-March 3. After-School Art Class: Everyone Can Draw. For Students in Grades 4 to 8.Tuesdays, 4 to 5:30 pm.
WINTER SESSION: JAN 27-MAR 3, 2009
SPRING SESSION: MAR 17-APR 28, 2009 (No Class April 14)
Cost: $60 per six-week session. It’s a myth artists are born and not made. Anyone at any age can learn basic drawing skills and have a creative experience. In each six-week session students will build their confidence with a wide range of materials and learn usable tricks of the trade. Pre-registration is required. To register or for information, call 828.253.3227, ext. 122 or 121, or e-mail smcrorie@ashevilleart.org or eshope@ashevilleart.org.

Feb 10, Mar 10, Apr 14 + May 12_Home-School Program For Students Grades 1 to 6. Second Tuesday of each month from 11:30 am. to 1 pm._$3.50 per student per session. Each 90-minute session includes a guided tour of the Museum’s permanent collection or a special exhibition, plus a hands-on activity in the Museum’s studio. Museum admission for students and all materials necessary are included in the cost. Pre-registration is required. http://www.ashevilleart.org/homeschool-program.html

Feb 26-Apr 2. After-School Art Class: Create a Bound Book
For Students in Grades 9 to 12. Six Thursdays, 4 to 5:30 pm. Cost: $75 for six-week session. Create a bound 7 x 7-inch book. This professional, digitally printed book will last a lifetime. Make up your own cartoon strip, add computer generated art or choose to write and illustrate a story. Pre-registration is required. To register or for information, call 828.253.3227, ext. 122 or 121, or e-mail smcrorie@ashevilleart.org or eshope@ashevilleart.org.

For more information, contact:
Kim Zdanowicz, Communications Manager
Asheville Art Museum
828.253.3227, ext. 116
kzdanowicz@ashevilleart.org

Penland School of Crafts - Development Associate for Grants and Institutional Gifts
Position Summary
The Development Associate/Grants will work in collaboration with staff and volunteers to maximize foundation and corporate giving for operations, special projects and capital needs. This position is responsible for grant research, schedule planning, writing and reporting for all sources—foundation, corporate and public—and for all grant-related record keeping. In addition, the successful candidate will assist with development office planning and implementation for expanded institutional giving from both public and private sources. Prior grants management experience with a nonprofit organization is strongly desired. Experience in the arts is a plus. Strong writing, oral communications and computer skills are required and must be demonstrated. This position may also involve support of other development office activities at the discretion of the Director of Development and Communications. The position is full-time, year-round, benefits eligible and exempt.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree plus three years experience in grant writing and grants management for a nonprofit organization. Master’s degree preferred. Excellent verbal and written communication skills required. Strong planning, administrative, record keeping, and organizational skills required. Excellent time management skills required. Must have the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines in a complex work environment. Excellent analytical skills, and the ability to gain and maintain a broad institutional perspective on the interrelationships of specific projects in support of proposal development required. Experience and skill in word processing and spreadsheet programs (MS Word and Excel). Some experience with computer database systems is preferred. Ability to extrapolate information for reports, analyze data and query for information is necessary. A proven ability to work with diverse groups of individuals. Strong problem-solving skills. A sense of humor and high personal standards of excellence. Knowledge of the arts in general and crafts in particular is a plus
Initial application deadline is December 31, 2008. The position will remain open until filled. Send resume, cover letter, and references, by December 31, 2008 to Susan Booth, Director of Development and Communications, PO Box 37, Penland NC 28765 or susanbooth@penland.org. Inquiries about the position should be directed to Susan Booth at 828/765-2359 x46 or susanbooth@penland.org. A full job description is available at http://www.penland.org/about/job_1.html.

The Parkway Playhouse would like to offer some acting classes in Feb/March/April. These classes would be after school classes (meaning that they would start around 4ish) and they would meet once a week for 6-8 weeks. We have a classroom/studio and we are looking for some instructors from the WNC area who might be interested in the job of leading these classes.  The students would be from ages 8-18 and if possible we would like to offer more than one class. If you, or someone you know might be interested in teaching one (or more) of these classes please have them email me and we can set up a meeting. The qualifications we are looking for are:
_Experience or interest in working  withkids/teenagers of all talent levels
_Broad range of acting/directing experience and training.
_Able to develop a course plan that incorporates basic acting technique and improve
_Ability to work with parents and manage classroom
There is pay and there is significant interest in the in having regular classes. This is something we would like to develop. For more information, contact www.parkwayplayhouse.com.

Meet  The Authors  Writing Contest: Peter Matthiessen and E.L. Doctorow. Deadline:  Postmarked by Dec. 30, 2008
Any writer may submit a fiction or non-fiction story for this contest, and winners are eligible for a free trip to New York to personally meet National Book Award-winning authors E.L. Doctorow and Peter Matthiessen. The winners will also receive autographed books by the authors - or, may opt for cash prizes. In addition, ten Honorable Mentions will receive recognition.
First Place:  $500, or an all-expense paid trip to meet the authors Spring 2009. Second Place: $300, or meet the authors. Accommodation provided.
Third Place: $200, or meet the authors.Ten Honorable Mentions
Guidelines:
Submit an unpublished story or chapter of a novel (specify fiction or creative non-fiction), of 5,000 words or less. Pages should be paper clipped. Your name, address, email, phone and title of work should also appear on a cover sheet. Double-space; use 12 point font. The entry fee is $25 per story. Multiple entries are accepted. Enclose legal size self-sealing SASE for critique and list of winners. Do not use Fedex, certified mail, etc. Please make check or money order payable to The Writers’ Workshop, and mail to: Author’s Contest, 387 Beaucatcher Road, Asheville, NC  28805. Electronic submission may be sent to writersw@gmail.com, with “Author’s Contest” in the subject. The entry fee is payable online at www.twwoa.org

An Appalachian Summer Festival is pleased to announce the 23rd Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. Online submission system opens Dec 15. Entry deadline is Feb 28, 2009.
A program of An Appalachian Summer Festival and Appalachian State University, the 23rd Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition brings ten new works to the campus located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of NC. The setting, installation assistance, full color catalog, sales program, $15,500 in awards, artist residency program and our commitment to artists and education, combine to offer this premier venue for contemporary outdoor sculpture. The 23rd season’s uniquely designed lecture series and installation schedule continues the long-standing celebration of outdoor sculpture. The Rosen Competition, established in 1987, is made possible by generous art supporters and patrons Martin & Doris Rosen. For downloadable entry form and complete entry details, visit www.rosensculpture.org.

The Turchin Center is pleased to announce the Halpert Biennial ’09, a national juried visual art competition and exhibition. Online submission system opens Dec 15. Entry deadline is Feb 14, 2009.
The Halpert Biennial ’09 is a national juried visual art competition and exhibition open to all two-dimensional visual artists over the age of 18 and currently residing in the US. Awards total $5,000. Any original, two-dimensional works of art including paintings, drawings, prints, photography, mixed media, and works using traditional and non-traditional materials are considered for the selection process. For complete information visit, www.tcva.org

Asheville BookWorks has a whole new line-up of classes this winter! The following classes still have openings. To register for classes, go to www.AshevilleBookWorks.com or call 828-255-8444.
Intermediate Letterpress
Prerequisite: Introduction to Handset Letterpress Printing or equivalent experience or classes in printing
Jan 12, 19, 26 and Feb 2, 9, 16; Mon: 3- 6:30 pm
Instructor: Frank Brannon. $285 + studio fees $25. Limited to six students.
Studio fee covers all inks, solvents and other expendable supplies needed for printing and contributes to the on-going upkeep of the presses and paper cutters.
The goal of this class is to increase participant’s familiarity and comfort levels with regard to letterpress printing. Each student will produce a single signature, pamphlet stitched book using a text and theme of their choosing. We will focus on topics such as letterpress project planning, imposition, printing on dampened paper, multiple run registration and developing participant’s letterpress printing skills. We will also explore printmaking techniques using the Vandercook, including linoleum block cuts and Sandragraphs for illustrative purposes. Participants will have the option to explore photopolymer plate printing as well. The final result of this class will be the completion of a full letterpress printed book project and development of the skills needed to print independently.

Relief Printing: Linocut
Jan 16 – 18; Fri: 6 - 8 pm. Sat & Sun: 9 am - 5 pm (1-hour lunch break)
Instructor: Laurie Corral. $255 + studio fees. Materials are included in materials fee.
In this weekend workshop, we will make relief prints using type high linoleum blocks and the Vandercook letterpress. We will learn carving techniques, image transfer, registration, and techniques for relief printing on the Vandercook letterpress. Students will be able to take their blocks home, and we will cover at home (press-free) printing methods. This class is appropriate for all levels – from first time explorers to more experienced printmakers. Our goal will be to create a class exchange portfolio. Each student will leave with an assortment of their own prints and proofs as well as a handmade portfolio that contains work from everyone in the class.

Book Binding: A Primer
Jan 20, 27 and Feb 3, 10, 17, 24; Tues: 6 - 9 pm
Instructor: Annie Fain Liden. $215 + materials fee $30
This six session workshop is the perfect opportunity to make books for the first time or to renew a long lost bookmaking past. We will focus on developing a solid foundation in various binding styles, book binding vocabulary, and quality craftsmanship. We will begin with some classics: making a book from a single page, pamphlet and accordion fold book structures. We will move on to ripping a text block by hand, working with the grain of your paper, gluing a bubble-free cover and making accurate measurements without a ruler. Our last sessions will explore the versatile and lovely long-stitch and multi-needle Coptic bindings. Expect to go home with models and hand-outs for each technique, armed and ready to continue your journey into the land of hand-bound books.

Book-A-Day
Jan 26 – 30; Mon - Fri: 9 am - 5 pm (1-hour lunch break)
Instructor: Dan Essig. $525 + studio fees
Learn to make 5 different book structures over the course of one week.The emphasis of the class will be low tech, you will need few tools other than the basic bookbinding kit. Starting with an overview on various papers, you will learn to tear precise text blocks and various
folded book structures.The workshop will cover Coptic, longstitch, sewn tapes and variation bindings.

CLAY   FIBERS   GLASS   METALS   WOOD

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

Workshop Sessions at the Appalachian Center for Craft, Jan - Nov 2009. Spend evenings, a weekend, or a week in the studios of the Appalachian Center for Craft while enjoying a creative and fulfilling learning experience in one or more of our craft workshops. Work in a professionally equipped studio environment including blacksmithing, clay, fibers, glass, metals and wood; there are classes suitable for beginners to studio professionals.
-Evening workshops, one night a week for eight weeks, are offered Jan-Mar and Sept-Nov.
-Three-day classes (Fri.-Sun.) are available in May and Sept.
-Six-day workshops (Sun.-Fri.) are in June and July (on-site lodging available during summer sessions only; list of local accommodations available).
Visit our website for more information: http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/wkshops.html. View the entire 2009 calendar at: http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/wkshops/Jan_Nov_09/calendar.html