Grovewood Gallery in North Asheville, adjacent to the Omni Grove Park Inn, presents Eat, Drink & Be Merry through December 31. The show is a curated collection of handcrafted tableware made by top-level regional artisans. Custom serving pieces, artisan cutting boards, and festive vessels are the main motif. See grovewood.com for details.
Local Cloth doesn’t stop spinning in December and January; the progressive-textiles center, located in Asheville’s South Slope district, holds its monthly Sip & Sew Slow Fashion Group on December 17, 5-7pm, in the adjacent Refinery Creator Space, so fiber artists can practice making and mending clothes in “slow fashion” style — which focuses on quality and sustainability for both producers and consumers — while also enjoying a tasty beverage.
Karen Donde and Mary Meigs Atwater will lead a Textile Study Group on December 19, 5:30-7pm, at the Center for Craft, and Heather Hietala of the Biltmore Pelmet Project will host another study group on January 16 from 5:30-7pm.
Need to nurture some winter blues? Dip into the Indigo Interest Group on December 30, 1-4pm, to study the history and complexities of the ancient hue (and be sure to “bring something to dye”). For more information on these and numerous other workshops, see localcloth.wildapricot.org.
Villagers in West Asheville offers affordable holiday-themed classes and workshops with an herbal undercurrent, including “Making Your Own Fire Cider Blends” with Lori Jenkins on December 12, 6:30-8pm, for $15, and “Cacao Alchemy: Herbal Chocolate Alchemy” with Scotty Karas on December 16, 5:30-7pm, for $20. To register, visit forvillagers.com.
Tryon Arts & Crafts School presents a Santa Gnome Workshop with Irene Heckel-Volpe on December 15, 10am-1pm. Heckel-Volpe has created collectable soft sculpture for more than 30 years and gears this workshop for the beginning felter. For more information, see tryonartsandcrafts.org.
The Omni Grove Park Inn houses the country’s best edible architecture for its 26th annual National Gingerbread House Competition, on view after 3pm on Sundays and any time Monday through Thursday, ending January 4. Call 800-438-5800 for more info.
