Home at Blue Spiral 1.
Home, running Friday, July 5 through Saturday, Aug. 31 at Blue Spiral 1 gallery in downtown Asheville, will feature works that depict feelings, objects, and ideas associated with the exhibit’s title idea (bluespiral1.com).
Also downtown, the ongoing Craft City Food and Art Tours, hosted by the Center for Craft, will take place on Saturdays, July 6 & 20, Aug. 3 & 17, Sept. 7 & 21, and Oct. 5 & 19, from 3-6pm. The two-mile walking tour is an insider’s look at Asheville’s urban landscape and restaurant scene through the craft philosophy of thoughtful making. To purchase tickets ($75 per person, ages 21 and up) or for more information, see centerforcraft.org.
Over in Weaverville, Echoview Fiber Mill hosts a Crochet 101 workshop Saturday, July 13, from 1-3pm, where participants will learn the basic stitches used in crochet and discover the many ways to combine them into beautiful pieces. Cost is $35. Another workshop at Echoview, Rigid Heddle Rag Rug, on Saturdays, Aug. 3 & 10, 12-4pm, will teach students the basics of warping a Schacht Rigid Heddle Loom, making yarn from an old garment or sheet, and designing and weaving a rag rug. Cost is $85. In a third workshop on Saturday, Aug. 17, 1-4pm, Botanically Dyeing from the Garden, students will explore the dye gardens at Echoview, find out about the ancient dying process, apply it to an array of natural fibers, and harvest dye plants. Cost is $45. For more information on workshops and to register, visit echoviewnc.com.
On Sunday, July 14, in Historic Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville, The Big Crafty will bring together the hippest collection of regional makers to sell an assortment of indie handmade items in celebration of the “beauty of a human-scale economy and community-building creative work.” See thebigcrafty.com for more information.
The 72nd Annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands happens Thursday through Sunday, July 18-21, at the US Cellular Center: It’s a large-scale exhibit of work in clay, wood, metal, glass, fiber, and more from members of the prestigious Southern Highland Craft Guild, a group that spans nine states. General admission is $8; visit southernhighlandguild.org to read about this year’s feature maker, Zan Barnes.
The 14th Annual Come to Leicester Tour is held every year the third week in August (Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17-18). Twenty-nine local artists who create in painting, ironwork, woodwork, textiles, pottery, jewelry, and brooms will open their studios in the coves of the scenic rural locale. Visit cometoleicester.org for details.
