It’s that time again. Time for the Toe River Arts Council Studio Tour.
Nestled in the heart of the Southern Appalachian Mountains are Yancey and Mitchell Counties. There be artists there!
Two plus days of meeting artists and seeing their work in their native habitat. Not restricted be gallery rules and limitations. This is wher you can see where they are at their creative best.
“Fire on the Mountain” this Saturday! This is one of my favorite town festivals.
Small town in the mountains of North Carolina = Spruce Pine
Manly Arts = blacksmithing. (Not horseshoeing! That is a farrier. Blacksmithing uses real imagination.)
Family Encouraged = Kid friendly, hands on blacksmithing! How cool!
This Saturday, April 24, is the Spruce Pine, NC, “Fire on the Mountain” blacksmith festival. Plenty of time to see everything: 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Tip 1: When you get there, sign the kids up for the Penland School’s hands-on forging. Since this is a favorite, the line gets long in the afternoon even with four anvils ringing.
Tip 2: Check the demonstration schedule and record when your favorite demon
stration is scheduled at the main tent. There are hourly demonstrations throughout the day. Fascinating. This is the How-To. Learn how the artists make their metal sculptures. Check out the vendors and load up on the blacksmith hammers and anvils and forges so you can make your own art when you get home.
Tip 3: Explore the lunch offerings from the street vendors or the downtown restaurants or picnic right on the street while you watch the demonstrations.
Tip 4: Broad brim hat. If it still gets too hot for you, check out the art galleries on the upper street. This is where the best of the art is displayed.
Start early. Open studio hours are only 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Centrally located in the heart of the western North Carolina mountains, Yancey and Mitchell Counties have some of the best kept secrets in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Notice: some studios are "artisticially" located. Good walking shoes are a good idea. A navigator with an open mind for roads less travelled is good too.
This is a great weekend to spend in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. It is cooler here. This weekend, June 14 & 15, Saturday and Sunday, is the Toe River Arts Council open studio tour. http://www.toeriverarts.org Check it out. I really enjoy meeting the artists and seeing their workshops. Most of these artsy types also live in very artistic locations. Just getting to their studio is a great adventure. You can pick up your guide map at the Spruce Pine TRAC Gallery and at the Burnsville TRAC Gallery. Plan your tour first. Mark the types of art you would like to see. Then find their location on the map. This will allow you to group studios in geographic areas to save time and gas. My recommendation: start on Saturday morning. Then when you realize at the 5:00 p.m. closing time and you still haven’t gotten to all of the glass blowers or galleries, you can still come back on Sunday. There are great scenic roads all over the Toe River area, each trip is visually rewarding. Take your time and enjoy the ride. Also, this Saturday in Blowing Rock, NC is Art in the Park. Downtown Blowing Rock welcomes artists to display and sell their work. These are very talented craftspeople. This is a juried show by invitation. http://www.blowingrock.com/artinthepark.php This high quality art show is in addition to the wealth of art on sale in the shops and galleries along Main Street. This Saturday would be a good time to get an ice cream cone and just sit in the park and people watch. I hope you take this weekend and make it a great one, in the Mountains.
Nestled in the heart of the Southern Appalachian Mountains are Yancey and Mitchell Counties. There be artists there!
Two plus days of meeting artists and seeing their work in their native habitat. Not restricted be gallery rules and limitations. This is wher you can see where they are at their creative best.
Tip 1: When you get there, sign the kids up for the Penland School’s hands-on forging. Since this is a favorite, the line gets long in the 
afternoon even with four anvils ringing.
Tip 2: Check the demonstration schedule and record when your favorite demon
