Throughout her career in the health field, wherever she lived at the time, Teresa Beck always found a way to open a retail shop. Her ventures include a gift and accessories shop in Troy, AL; a booth in an antique mall in Montgomery, AL; a downtown shop in Selma, AL; and an antique mall with a tearoom in West Point, GA.
Caroline and Michael Parrish, owners of Earth & Sky Dwellings, each spent years in corporate America before taking what they call “the giant leap” into their Asheville hospitality venture, Earth & Sky Dwellings, 10 years ago.
Raphaella Vaisseau has been a self-supporting, self-taught artist for more than 30 years. When Hurricane Helene destroyed all of her artwork at Riverview Station, including watercolor works that were years in the making, she committed herself to walking the “sacred path of rebirth and acceptance, celebrating opportunities as they appear.”
For Jenny Ellis, owner of The Artful Chair, a recent move signaled not an ending, but a beginning. “Marshall High Studios felt like destiny—a chance to ‘go back to school,’ but this time with fabrics, tools and imagination instead of textbooks,” says Ellis.
A flyer at a grocery store in Florida caught Ann Converse’s eye nearly 35 years ago. It was a seniors’ quilting group. She wasn’t a senior, but she called the number and was welcomed into the fold. “And so, my quilting addiction began,” she says.
Thomas Reardon and Kathleen Doyle Jewelry, located in Grovewood Village, works with clients to create custom jewelry designed to capture individual stories and styles. “From the first sketch to the final polish, we guide you through a collaborative and personal journey,” says Tom Reardon, owner, with Kathleen Doyle, of the studio.
The Bardo Arts Center and Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University (WCU) presents Echoes Across the Smokies: A Night of Strings, Stories, and Songs on Thursday, October 30. The evening begins with a preshow at 6:30 p.m., followed by the mainstage performance at 7:30 p.m.
The Beaverdam Studio Tour will return on Saturday, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a “bounce back year” after last year’s cancellation in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
The Laurel of Asheville is available in both print and digital editionsWe are delighted you have chosen us to be your gateway—both through our popular print Asheville lifestyle magazine and our website—to the arts, culture, and communities that comprise the remarkable area that is Western North Carolina. In these pages, you will find behind-the-scenes stories about the region’s concerts, theatre and dance productions, festivals, restaurants, artists, and the multitude of locally-based businesses. We also enjoy bringing you features about the people and organizations who are caring for those in need, protecting our historic heritage, preserving our rich and diverse environment, and nurturing our cultural soul.
