Explore the captivating world of Photorealism— See new exhibition Beyond the Lens On view through February 5, 2024

Tickets: Museum Members $7, Non-Members $10 + general admission

New exhibition Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing, and Painting presents key works from the collection of Louis K. and Susan Pear Meisel, bringing together paintings and works on paper dating from the 1970s to the present to focus on this profoundly influential art movement. The exhibition includes work by highly acclaimed formative artists of the movement such as Charles Bell, Robert Bechtle, Tom Blackwell, Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, and Ralph Goings as well as paintings by the successive generations of Photorealist artists Anthony Brunelli, Davis Cone, Bertrand Meniel, Rod Penner, and Raphaella Spence.

Featuring diverse subject matters, but the primary interiors focus is on the common and every day: urban scenes, “portraits” of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, still life compositions using toys, food, and candy wrappers. All provide opportunities for virtuoso studies in how light, reflection, and the camera as intermediary shapes our perception of the material world.

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An evening for educators to unwind, socialize, and explore the Museum!

FREE general admission for Educators K-12, administrators, and teaching artists

Teachers of all grade levels and subject areas are invited to view the Museum’s current exhibitions, attend gallery talks, enjoy live music, create art in the studio, and learn more about the Asheville Art Museum’s resources for teachers.

Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. The rooftop Perspective Café will be open until 9pm, where you may purchase a variety of sandwiches, local snacks, and beverages, including Poppy’s Popcorn, French Broad Chocolates, Asheville beers, organic coffee, wine, and cocktails. Artist Jenny Pickens will be leading an art activity in the third floor studio for the educators from 5-8pm.

Register now for your chance to win free door prizes, including an educator membership! Advanced online registration is encouraged but not required.

Any questions, email Susan Hendley, school & teacher programs manager at [email protected]

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Join us for a Thursday Night Live Jazz performance by the Pierson-Law Duo and a Virtual Conversation with Analia Saban
Thursday Night Live Jazz Concert by the Pierson-Law Duo - Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 6-8pm

Enjoy an evening of live music in the Museum’s Windgate Foundation Atrium featuring the Pierson-Law duo. Consisting of Connor Law on upright bass and Taylor Pierson on piano, this duo plays an eclectic blend of jazz standards and recognizable songs crossing multiple eras. They strive for interactive improvisation to create a unique sound that can appeal to jazz fans as well as appreciators of music of all kinds. No reservations required.

Upcoming Tours: Intersections in American Art and The Art of Food

Public Tour: The Art of Food 2-3pm
Sunday, September 24, 2023

Enjoy a tour of the exhibition The Art of Food: From the Collections Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation led by a Volunteer Educator.

Free for Museum Members or included with general admission; registration is not required.

Author Erica Abrams Locklear discusses her new book Appalachia on the Table

Book + Art Wednesday, September 27, 2023 • Noon-1:15pm
Free for Members or included with Museum admission; registration not required.

Join author Erica Abrams Locklear to discuss her new book Appalachia on the Table: Representing Mountain Food and People. Following a book discussion, join our Learning & Engagement staff in the galleries for a conversation connecting themes within the book to selected works from the current exhibition The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. Books are available for purchase at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café for a 10% discount.

Purchase Your Tickets to the Museum’s 75th Anniversary Dance Party!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 4, 2023, from 7 to 11pm, as we celebrate three-quarters of a century of art and culture in style. The party promises to be a blast from the past, so get ready to don your best '70s attire and get your dancing shoes on.

But that's not all! We've lined up an array of treats to make this night truly unforgettable. Satisfy your taste buds with delectable delights from food trucks Bun Intended, offering a mouthwatering fusion of flavors in the Museum plaza. DJ Erik Mattox will be spinning all your favorite '70s dance tunes, ensuring the dance floor stays electric all night long. And for those looking to score some unique treasures, don't miss our silent auction, featuring incredible items that will make you want to bid with enthusiasm.

Tickets for this spectacular event go on sale starting September 15th, so be sure to snag yours early, as they're sure to be in high demand. Join us for a night of drinks, dancing, and nostalgia as we commemorate 75 years of artistic excellence at the Asheville Art Museum. Tickets are available now!

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Work of the Week

(The American Context #16) Christina’s World by Luke Haynes, 2012

On view in the Museum’s SECU Collection Hall • Level 3

(The American Context #16) Christina’s World is part of a larger project Luke Haynes completed in 2012, where the artist had his friends replicate famous poses from art history. He then reconfigured them into his own work, combining the worlds of fine art and craft. This particular piece is modeled after Andrew Wyeth’s iconic 1948 painting Christina’s World.

With intersections with fiber art and painting, as well as looking back at art history and using photographic reference for the figure, this piece is the culmination of multiple art practices that all inform each other. It’s a visual example of how art is elevated through research and through the exploration of different materials. Painting has long been perceived as a form of high art—a highly technical medium that takes years to master. This is a stark contrast to the perception of quilting, an activity that has been regarded only for its functionality rather than equated with fine art. However, the explicit reference to a famous painting allows Haynes to elevate his practice to the same caliber as Wyeth’s Christina’s World; why wouldn’t a quilt that visually reveals the intense labor and technique behind its creation be seen as having just as much value as the painting it’s modeled after, which is displayed in museums and studied in art history courses? (Notice the subtle shifts in color in Haynes’s figure’s clothing and in the background.) The importance of interdisciplinary practice is therefore highlighted and explored by Haynes.

As artists, we can sometimes feel pressure from others (and ourselves!) that dictates how we work and why we work. Seeing what the art world regards as “important” and “revolutionary” can be discouraging if our own work doesn’t align with these principles. However, artwork can hold different meanings that extend beyond just its medium and subject, and as more museums begin to expand their definition of what artwork is considered important and masterful, artists are starting to embrace their own definitions of value within their work and defy an art historical canon that may say otherwise.  - Lauren Whipple, intern

Luke Haynes’s (The American Context #16) Christina’s World is currently featured in our ongoing exhibition Intersections in American Art, on view in the SECU Collection Hall, level 3.


Coming up in October!

The Museum Celebrates Asheville’s Hospitality and Restaurant Service Community
Asheville Art Museum is hosting Hospitality Workers Date Night on Thursday, October 5 from 5 to 8 pm, to show our appreciation for the hospitality and restaurant service industry. Guests can enjoy free general admission and explore exhibitions, participate in art activities, guided tours, and take in an artists’ talk featuring Deborah Czeresko (winner of Blown Away season 1) and Tim Tate (director of the Washington Glass School).

Themed cocktails and beverages inspired by the current exhibition The Art of Food are available for purchase in the Museum’s Perspective Cafe. Special guest DJ MOJAV, Asheville FM's Bouncie House host will be spinning music on the Museum's rooftop terrace.

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Yoga on the Sculpture Terrace: Creative Flow Series with West Asheville Yoga returns
Saturdays, October 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2023 • 9:30-10:30am
$15 for Members; $25 for nonmembers; 10 percent discount for all four sessions

In collaboration with West Asheville Yoga join us on the Museum’s rooftop terrace for a unique Creative Flow yoga experience combining the beauty of art with the power of mindful movement.

All-levels are welcome. Please bring your own mat. Loose-fitting clothing is recommended. In the event of inclement weather, you will be held inside in the Museum’s Wingate Atrium.

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Take an Art Break and explore The Art of Food with Chef Silver Iocovozzi

Art Break with Silver Iocovozzi
Saturday, October 7, 2023 • 4-5pm

Join Silver Iocovozzi, chef-owner of Asheville's vibrant Filipinx restaurant Neng Jr.'s, for this month's Art Break as he leads an informal gallery talk about the works in the exhibition, The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation.

Silver Iocovozzi is the child of a Filipino immigrant, born in South Carolina and raised in the cross-section of the American South and the Philippines. As a lifelong Southerner, Iocovozzi continues to nurture a deep love for the histories and foodways of live-fire cooking and its application globally. Dedication to the culinary cosmos is indebted to the experience of their Filipino mother, Neneng, as a first-generation immigrant landing on Parris Island, SC, in 1986. The lessons taught through this connection have deeply affected their calling to the diffusion of Filipino traditional cuisine and its heritage.

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