Culture Thrives in the Mountains

By Amber Deen

Toe River Arts Council

A great many towns in America have an arts council to promote their resident artists, because a thriving cultural climate is important for attracting visitors and new residents. The chances of finding an arts council guiding the cultural vitality of a community is more likely in towns with a good number of residents in the mid to high socioeconomic level to support it. Usually, the larger the city, the more prominent is its arts council and its cultural life.

It’s surprising, then, to find a strong and immeasurably effective arts council in our little village of Burnsville, NC with a population of less than 18 hundred, 18 thousand for the entire county.  Our Toe River Arts Council (TRAC) is one of the oldest and most innovative, effective, and respected of any in the 100 counties of our state. It’s the only arts council in NC serving artists in three counties, each with a small population yet high density of artists. As a matter of fact, this immediate area has more artists per capita than any similar size area in the country.

Most arts councils have a gallery and gift shop to showcase and sell the work of their resident artists, and we do too. We maintain two actually, one in Burnsville and another in Spruce Pine. More than that, though, TRAC enjoys a reputation as a leader in its field because of the number of innovative and successful programs it has developed during the 36 years of its existence.

Studio Tours                                                  
Our Council, for instance, pioneered studio tours two decades years ago, where people drive themselves to artist’s studios sprinkled throughout the nooks and crannies of the region, meet and watch the artists working, and buy directly from the maker. There were no studio tours then. Now it seems, every city and town in the country stages them. Cities have multiple tours in different geographical areas, and more tours in their suburban communities.


TRAC facilitates two studio tours a year, the second weekend in June and the first weekend in December. There are around 100 artists participating either in their own studios or sharing another artist’s studio. People come from all over the country again and again for our TRAC tours. They are the most popular studio tours in the nation. If you’ve never been on our premier tour, you might think about coming up for this next one November 30th to December 2nd. See the listing below under “Upcoming Events.”

Community Orchestra & Chorus
Another unique TRAC-supported program is our community orchestra. The Toe River Chamber Ensemble is composed of about 20 resident musicians of all ages from ours and surrounding counties. The eldest member is an 80-something year old violinist from Boone. The youngest is a teenage violinist from Yancey County.

About the time school starts, orchestra members begin gathering weekly to play and rehearse music – from classical and contemporary to Broadway show tunes. They recently presented their annual fall concert for the public, free as always, and are now in weekly rehearsals for their annual Christmas Concert December 11, when they combine their talents with the Toe River Community Chorus. And around Easter will be the orchestra’s annual spring concert.

The Community Chorus is formed each year about this time just for the Christmas performance. Anyone who loves to sing is invited to come to weekly rehearsals. They will perform Vivaldi’s Gloria as part of this year’s concert, a favorite of mine. See the listing below under “Upcoming Events.”


Art in the Schools
Denise Cook, who plays in the orchestra and was the guiding light in its creation, has been TRAC’s executive director for over 20 years. She has worked tirelessly to generate funding for the Council’s incomparable programs to bring a variety of multi-cultural and curriculum-based art instruction and performances into Yancey and Mitchell Counties’ school systems.

My favorite is the Traditional Arts Program for Students (TAPS) which teaches 5th to 8th graders the traditional mountain instruments – guitar, banjo, dulcimer, and fiddle – both during school and in after school programs, with the goal of keeping the musical heritage of the region alive and thriving in today’s community. A student who has no instrument and cannot afford to buy one, may borrow one from TRAC.

These special programs are funded by the NC Arts Council - a state agency, the United Way of Mitchell County, United Foundation of Yancey County, and Mitchell and Yancey County Schools.


Paint-Out

Six or seven years ago, another program was launched, the Paint Out. Around 35 artists come to TRAC’s gift shop and gallery in Burnsville early on a Saturday in May to register. Most are from this area with a few from other states. They then disperse throughout the town, some going further afield into the hills and valleys of the county to paint in a variety of mediums. (Most have pre-scouted the scenes they plan to paint). They work most of the day. A number of artists paint multiple pictures. By 3 o’clock, they begin bringing their work back to the gallery and frame it. Then it’s hung. Everyone returns for a rousing reception at 6 o’clock when a visiting artist jurist announces the winners. It has been a very popular, successful program.

And More
Other successful events and programs include Music in the Mountains, our tribute to local music traditions; ongoing special exhibits in the Burnsville and Spruce Pine galleries, each with a free opening reception to which the public is invited; and the Blue Ridge Fine Arts Guild (BRAG), a TRAC-sponsored group of painters and photographers who meet once a month to socialize and support and learn from one another. There is usually a guest artist who demonstrates his or her technique.

Art at The Cove at Celo Mountain

From the magnificent entry gate depicting mountains in layered metals, and the large, colorful quilt square sculpture nearby, to the artful design of the pocket parks beside the creek and the landscaping throughout the community, The Cove at Celo Mountain is itself a work of art. It’s obvious from first glance that the beauty of Nature’s art has been magnified by skillfully marrying the natural setting with artful landscape and home design.

Come see for yourself. Plan to spend a weekend. Tour the Cove and attend one or more of the holiday happenings listed below. Call us at 866 378-4769 for details on our Mountain Renewal getaway package.

Upcoming Events

Penland School of Crafts Auction
An auction of student and instructor donated art at this world-renown crafts school, November 15 at 8pm in Penland’s Northlight Building. Details: info@penland.org or 828-765-2359.

10th Annual Christmas Ornament Festival
A chance to buy showcase of local artists holiday-themed work, November 17 from 10 to 2 at Burnsville Town Center. Free admission.

TRAC Holidaze Exhibit

An exhibit of holiday-themed artwork by resident artists, November 23 to December 31 with an opening reception the 23rd from 5 to 7 at the Burnsville Toe River Arts Council gallery and gift shop. Details: www.toeriverarts.org.

TRAC Studio Tour                                                           

The premier studio tour in the country, begins at noon, Friday November 30 and runs Saturday and Sunday, December 1 and 2 from 10 to 5. There is a free public reception at 4 o’clock on Friday at the Spruce Pine TRAC gallery to meet participating artists and see an exhibit of their work. Free guides/maps are available at both TRAC galleries, and all participating studios. Details: www.toeriverarts.org.

Burnsville Christmas Parade

A wonderful small town American style parade with antique tractors and cars, horses, the high school marching band, and Santa, December 1 beginning at 3 o’clock on West Main St. Details: www.yanceychamber.com or email info@yanceychamber.com .

Annual Christmas Concert
Toe River Chamber Ensemble and Toe River Community Chorus present for the public their annual Christmas Concert December 11 at First Baptist Church on Town Square. It is free. Details: www.toeriverarts.org.

Our hearts were saddened by the destruction caused by Super Storm Sandy this past week.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, businesses and all those touched by this tragic event.  We applaud everyone who is reaching out by contributing, either money or man hours, to the aid, relief and recovery efforts.

Special Places & Events

 by Amber Deen

A couple visiting from Charlotte six days ago had just driven down to Burnsville from Mount Mitchell on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and said the fall color up there was still beautiful. So, while there is still some autumn beauty to behold in the mountains, I wanted to tell you about two other favorite places that are magnificent in the fall, Linville Falls and Linville Gorge. They are neighboring national attractions on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and both are managed by the US Forest Service.

Linville Falls

The entrance to the falls is at Milepost 316.3 of the Parkway just north of where US 221 crosses the Parkway. There are two trails from the Visitor Center that take you to different views of the falls, both magnificent. And along the river that feeds the falls are trails to other viewing spots.

I prefer the upper trail with a slightly downward view. And it’s not nearly as steep as the lower view trail. It matters not from which direction you look at the falls, though, it is like no other waterfall you have ever seen. Learn more at www.Linvillefalls.com.

Linville Gorge

The Linville Gorge wilderness area is a mecca for campers, climbers, scramblers, and simply anyone who loves nature and being in the great outdoors. There are trails that take you to the river for fishing and camping, and trails that follow the cliff edges with fantastic views of the river valley and opposite cliffs.
The website www.linvillegorge.net says, “Linville Gorge will keep calling you back so be prepared to spend some time there. Feel free to use this website to learn all you can about this special place.”

The Cove at Celo Mountain’s Hideaway Treehouse

Of all the charming natural nooks and crannies at The Cove, my favorite is the Hideaway Treehouse. Doesn’t everyone love treehouses? My favorite thing at Disney World is the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. So the Hideaway Treehouse at The Cove appeals to the kid in me as well as the nature lover that I am.

And there are so many other oh-so-interesting things to see in The Cove. One new resident said, “It’s like having your own National Park – without all the people.”

We have a view book filled with details and images of our community that we’ll be happy to send you. Just give us a call at 866 378-4769, or visit our website celoliving.com




Plan to Visit for….

A hike Nov. 10

The NC High Peaks Trail Association will have a hike Sat., Nov. 10. Details at www.nchighpeaks.org.


Penland School of Crafts Auction Nov. 15

Each Penland session ends with an auction of work donated by students, instructors, and friends. All proceeds support the school’s scholarship program. It’s a great chance to enjoy the energy of one of the most revered crafts schools in the country. Details: 828 765-2359 or email info@penland.org.

Burnsville’s Annual Christmas Ornament Festival Nov. 17

Speaking of crafts, our annual Christmas Ornament Festival is a great way to do some holiday shopping for one-of-a-kind ornaments, handmade by local artists, without the traffic and crowds of a mall. The event will be at our Town Center from 10-2. Contact 828 682-7209, www.burnsvilletowncenter.com.

More Autumn Favorites

by  Amber Deen

 

“The mellowing year marks its periods of decline with a pageantry of hues so varied that it is, as Walt Whitman said, ‘enough to make the colorist go delirious.’  Here in the forests of the Blue Ridge, where well over a hundred kinds of native deciduous trees are to be found, the spectacle challenges description; the writer feels humbled and gropes for words.”
                          --Arthur Stupka, “The Great Smokies and the Blue Ridge” (1943)

 

Newspaper clippings and postcard announcements of fall events, and their sponsors’ printed website pages that provide details and photos about them, are strewn over every surface, hard or soft, of my tiny office/guest room.  Articles and brochures about all the major destinations in and around Yancey County, are also here, only in somewhat neater piles.  It all represents a great many things to see and do and places to visit in our beautiful mountain region. And this is the best time of the whole year to see and do and visit them.

 

So I practiced what I preached, and a couple of Sundays ago I went with a group of 20 people and 10 dogs for a leisurely stroll on a well-maintained trail through the 100 year old apple trees at The Historic Orchard at Altapass.  I had just written about it in the blog, “Fall, Foliage and Fun,” but had not been there in a few years.

Well I had forgotten just how incredible is the panoramic view.  It personifies the word “vista.” The mountain layers were just beginning to show the yellows and reds of autumn, a prelude to the colorful show to come. 

 The weather was perfect, about 68, probably a little cooler up there on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Without my jacket, the temperature in the sun was ideal.  It never got too warm, not even after twenty minutes or more of walking.  The sky was a perfectly clear, intense, cobalt blue.  There was a slight breeze.  We walked at our own pace, chatting with other walkers and their dogs as we meandered along.  Someone heard the old freight train coming on the tracks just below us.  In the blog just mentioned, I said the orchard had been created by the Clintchfield Railroad in 1908 on the land above the tracks, when passenger trains had stopped running. The barn-red building that houses The Orchard’s gift shop, butterfly exhibit, home-made ice cream and fudge counter, and is the music venue, was the station where apples were loaded on the freight cars. So there we were watching the train moving ever so slowly from west to east, with that magnificent panoramic vista in the background.  Someone said the train goes through 19 tunnels on that mountain route. As we watched, chatting, and so comfortable in the moment, I remembered how much more gratifying such an event is when shared with others.  I had hiked a number of times alone, and always missed having someone to “Oooh” and “Aahh” with over discoveries large and small.

 So I’d like to share a few more of my autumn favorites with you.

 Our own Scenic Byway

I had planned to tell you about our 52 mile stretch of road that was recently designated the Mount Mitchell Scenic Byway.  Last Friday’s Asheville Citizen-Times beat me to it with a wonderful story about it in the Asheville Scene section (Asheville Scene).   The writer, Karen Chavez, calls the route, “52 miles of Western North Carolina driving perfection in the fall.”  She added, “It not only passes through layers of colorfully changing leaves, it winds through a smorgasbord of artistic, outdoors, cultural, historic and scenic attractions, meeting all the criteria for the state’s Scenic Byway program.”
 

Coming northwest from Asheville on Interstate 26, the route begins at the Burnsville/Mount Mitchell exit 9.  It follows US19 east through downtown Burnsville, and winds its way through my favorite local valley scenery in the Toe River Valley, Toe being short for Toecane, an Indian word I’m told.  It meets Blue Ridge Parkway, then heads southwest to the road that takes you the final 3 miles to Mount Mitchell State Park. (If you wanted, you could continue on the Parkway to Asheville, making a complete circle.)

Our 52 mile route is the only Scenic Byway that has a state park, a national park, and a national forest – Pisgah.  For more NC scenic byways information, go to www.ncdot.gov/travel/scenic.

 

The Cove at Celo Mountain

It’s not surprising that another of my favorite places, especially in autumn, is just off the Mount Mitchell Scenic Byway.  The Cove at Celo Mountain is stunning this time of year, and well worth a visit. 

 

Come meander by the creek on well-maintained paths.  Stop at our Greeters Park and Outdoor Library areas and listen to the view. 

See the wooded lots where you might want to build your own “tree house,” and the spacious move-in-ready cabin, The Foxwood, rustic yet with all the amenities.

See it at The Cove at Celo Mountain.  You’ll love the possibilities.  Then phone us at 866 378-4769 and ask about our Mountain Renewal Weekend.  Fall is best when shared, and we want to share it with you.

 

Halloween Fun

Two  of my Halloween favorite treats are coming up: Trick ‘r’ Treating in downtown Burnsville, a Halloween night like no other, and our 2^nd Annual Halloween Costume Ball with the nationally popular jazz singer Kat Williams, a huge favorite in Western NC.

 

You see, kids in the country, where farms are far apart, have to be driven to the suburbs.  One shop owner started a Trick ‘r’ Treat night in our little town about 4 years ago.  Four hundred costumed kids showed up at the shops.  It was a huge success, and each Halloween the numbers have grown.  I swear, I think the entire population of Yancey County – all 18,000 of us – showed up last Halloween.  It’s become a giant, fun block party with parents escorting every kind of princess, bunny, super hero, ghoul and goblin through the town.  I love it.  It’s uplifting.  Everyone smiles, laughs, and has such a good time.  It’s way more fun, and safer, than the traditional Halloween nights of Anywhere, USA Suburbia. 

 

So bring the Grands for your visit to our special place, and join the fun downtown from 4 to 6pm.  I guarantee it’ll be a Halloween they’ll always remember.  And I bet you will too.  For details visit  Yancey Chamber of Commerce or phone them at 828 682-7413.

Now Kat Williams came from humble beginnings, grew up in foster homes, spent her teen years caring for her last foster mother, and ended up homeless on the streets of New York City.  Her lust for life, passion for music, talent and exuberant personality helped her become the incredibly successful performer she is today.  

 

So after the kids have tuckered out Trick ‘r’ Treating, it’s grownups’ time to party at Town Center.  Get details from Burnsville Town Center, or call 828 682-7209.

 

Share in the fun!  

 

 

 

 

Fun Fall Favorites

By Amber Deen

Some Autumn favorites

Roaring Fork Falls and Setrock Creek Falls are my two favorite waterfalls because they’re nearby - just below Blue Ridge Parkway, the walk to both is short and easy, and they’re only three miles apart so I can visit them both in one excursion.  See more at www.ncwaterfalls.com, a nice site.

Burnsville’s Farmers’ Market is my “must do” thing on Saturday mornings.  You can see the row of white canvas booth tops west of Town Center from the light at 19E & South Main St.  All the fresh, naturally grown fruits and veggies, were picked just a couple of hours earlier.  There are also preserves, baked goods just made from those locally grown farm fresh fruits and veggies (I love the little loaves of rhubarb & strawberry “bread,” so moist, they’re more like cake), honey, preserves, fresh cut flowers, cheeses, and interesting mountain crafts.

The growers are happy to answer questions, and to suggest ways to cook produce you may not have tried before.  I learned how tasty Swiss Chard is when the leaves and stems are sliced and sautéed with onions.  Now a favorite veggie of mine. 

I also learned how much healthier is grass-fed beef that has no hormones or chemicals in it, and now buy it regularly at the Market.

 

Sometimes when I go, there are musicians playing traditional mountain music.  Along about 10am, the place is bustling.  It becomes a social hub every Saturday morning from 8:30am to 12:30pm.  IF the weather turns really cold and wet, everybody just sets up inside the Town Center, and the friendly bazaar-like socializing and business continue as usual.

Ranger programs & the museum at Mount Mitchell State Park.   Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 11am and 2pm, there are on a variety of subjects including the bears and other wildlife that live there, and the history of the park.  The talks are always interesting for children and adults. 

The hands-on museum is fun for every age too.  You can move around slices of model mountains to see the different ages of the formations, a version of counting tree rings to tell its age.  You can push a button on a picture of a bird (there are lots to choose from), and a little door will open like a book, and you can learn about the bird, and hear its call.  There’s also a mechanical mountain man in front of an authentic cabin who, when you push a button, will tell you an interesting story about Mount Mitchell. 

There’s a small campground in the park, a picnic area, a snack shop, a restaurant, and many trails to hike.  My favorite is the short and easy Balsam Trail.  It begins and ends up by the gift shop and snack shop, and goes through different kinds of forest.  When I worked there, I’d tell the kids how dark and spooky it was in one spot.  Their eyes would get real wide, and they’d beg their parents, “Oh, let’s go!  I want to go!”

The park is open 8am to 8pm in October, and accessed on road 288 from Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 355.  Phone 828 675-4611, or go to www.mountmitchell@ncdenr.gov for details.  And read my last blog of Oct. 3, “Fall Forests Beckon,” about when I lived and worked at Mount Mitchell.

 

Mount Mitchell and Grassy Creek Golf Clubs are favorites of resident and visiting golfers.  They’re nearby and especially beautiful this time of year.  Mount Mitchell Club is below the Blue Ridge Parkway, not on Mount Mitchell.  Grassy Creek is about 30 minutes away in Spruce Pine.  Check out their websites:  www.mountmitchellgolf.com and www.grassycreek.com. 

Autumn calendar of fun things to do

Rural Academy of Theatre presents a free, innovative performance of live music, theater, and  puppetry; a silent film shown by bicycle power; and a variety of weird and fun “audience manipulated kinetic sculptures” (whatever that is), all unfolding from horse-drawn wagons Oct. 11 at 7:30pm on Burnsville’s Town Square.  Bring a blanket or chair, and a jacket.

“Wine and Unwind” wine tasting Oct. 12 from 2-7, at Burnsville Wine And…, 25 West Main St., a benefit for the 4-H Alumni and Friends Scholarship Fund.  Wines are for tasting or purchase by the glass or bottle.  There will be heavy hor d’oeuvres and door prizes (you need not be present to win).  The cost is $20.  For details, call my old friend Joyce Watts, who retired from Yancey County’s NC Cooperative Extension a few years ago as its director, got bored, and opened the wine shop, 828 682-3456.  Joyce has a wine tasting every Friday, and frequently for a charity, but this one is special because this charity is near and dear to her heart.

The play “Opal’s Baby,” by Burnsville Little Theatre Players, Oct. 11, 12, 13 at 7:30 and Oct. 14  at 2pm at historic Parkway Playhouse, a benefit for the County’s Operation Feed a Child.  Burnsville Little Theatre Players, a loosely knit group of residents who apparently like the joy and drudgery of putting on a show, was born in 1928 and, except for a few war years when male actors were scarce, has been staging two plays a year ever since.  Phone the diehard president-for-life and retired Air Force officer, Bob Wilson, 828 682-2609, for details. 

Toe River Art Council’s annual auction Oct. 13 of fabulous one-of-a-kind art pieces in every imaginable medium (and one or two you couldn’t imagine), all generously donated by our world-class artists of Yancey and Mitchell Counties.  The event is the Council’s primary funding source to enable it to continue to support the many resident artists – more artists per capita in Yancey County than any county in the country – who are the backbone of our community and our Cultural heritage, and a number of educational programs for our local schools.  Art lovers won’t want to miss this.  People come from all over to buy these incredible pieces at bargain prices.  Read details at www.toeriverarts.org.

Yancey County Dream Home Tour Oct. 12 & 13, benefits Mayland Community College’s scholarship programs.  Six unique and beautiful homes in our county will be showcased.  There will also be a silent auction of artwork.  Get details at www.llaughridge@mayland.edu.

Burnsville Car Show Oct. 13 benefits the Burnsville Fire Department.  There will be all makes and models of trucks, cars, and motorcycles, plus hot dogs, hamburgers, and music.  It’s all around Burnsville Town Square from 9am to 4pm, and like most events on Town Square, I’m sure it’ll be one giant, fun block party.

Mineral City Heritage Festival Oct. 13 will take place in our neighbor town, Spruce Pine, known as the Mineral City because mining is the town’s economic mainstay.  The Heritage Festival will have demonstrations of mountain skills such as making apple butter and caning chairs from 10am to 4pm.  Then stay for the evening of music from 6 to 10:30pm.  

Spruce Pine Potters Market Invitational, Oct 13/14, is a weekend sale featuring the work of 30 ceramic artists, many of the top ceramic artists in the southeast who live and work in Yancey and Mitchell Counties.  The Market runs from 10am to 5pm each day, and attracts several thousand people each year for the chance to meet many artists in one place, in one afternoon.   It’s free and light breakfast and lunch options will be available.   Call 828-765-0520 for details, or go to www.sprucepinepottersmarket.com.

Fall Stars on the Square Oct. 20.  Now that fall has arrived, it’s time for the Blue Ridge Astronomy Group’s fall stargazing event on Burnsville Town Square.  The evening begins at 7pm and lasts until midnight.  You may bring a telescope or, as always, there will be a variety of telescopes to share, their owners to explain what you’re looking at, and a sky full of amazing things to see.  There’s always a big turnout for these events.  For more information on the event and/or the astronomy group, see www.blueridgeastronomygroup.com.  

Town Square Scamper 5k Oct. 20.  This popular annual event benefits the county School Foundation.  You can run, stroll, walk or be a cheering spectator.  The “race” starts and finishes in front of Burnsville Town Hall.  So come join the fun for a good cause.  Contact Erica Deaton at 828 682-7557.

A leisurely Sunday walk in the woods Oct. 28, led by members of our NC High Peaks Trail Association, will take us from Blue Ridge Parkway to a fire tower with a spectacular view.  The Trail Association has one major hike early in every month, and a “stroll” for us older kids later in the month. The public is always invited. Many members also do trail clearing and maintenance during the month.  Those men and women get their exercise!  See pictures of them working and playing, and get updates of their schedule at www.nchighpeaks.org.  

The 2^nd Annual Halloween Costume Ball Oct. 31, a benefit for Shortbus Studio, the daycare provider for developmentally handicapped individuals, will star Emmy nominated Kat Williams with her powerful Blues music.  There will be monsters, munchies, music, and more.  The location is Burnsville Town Center on South Main Street, a stone’s throw from Town Square.  Doors open at 7pm.  Tickets are $20.  Contact www.burnsvilletowncenter.com for details, or call 828 682-7209.  By the way, that website will have the entire listing of musical events at the Center as well, usually one every weekend.

Coming in the next blog:  more “don’t miss” favorites to see and do in the mountains.

Meanwhile, art appreciators can learn about many art-related events in this, and surrounding, areas at the Toe River Arts Council website, www.toeriverarts.org.  You might want to ask for the weekly e-newsletter, full of information.  And don’t forget to check for updates on the Chamber of Commerce Calendar, www.yanceychamber.com/calendar.php.

You’re invited… as always, to come and let us show you what life is like in The Cove at Celo Mountain and Yancey County.  We want you to explore the ancient peaks and hollows and waterfalls of our forests.  Stroll and shop and enjoy a meal in our postcard-perfect Burnsville.  Be amazed at the beauty and quality of art that comes from the studios of our nationally renown artists and Penland School of Crafts.  Then stroll with us around The Cove at Celo Mountain…walk the trails…relax in the picnic areas beside the creek…watch the sunset from the ridge. 

Make reservations today for your two-day October Getaway.  Phone us for details at 866 378-4769.  And give yourself an autumn treat.  You deserve it, and probably need it.