3rd Annual Beaverdam Studio Tour Set for October 26 in North Asheville

Artists in North Asheville will participate in the 3rd annual Beaverdam Studio Tour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 26, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 27. More than 30 artists will be participating, with an array of media represented, including glass, painting, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, paper and textile art. The self-guided driving tour will offer visitors the opportunity to meet artists, see their workspace and watch them create. All studios are off Beaverdam Road, reached from Merrimon Avenue.

Robert Stephan is a glass artist who has been living in Beaverdam Valley for 35 years. “I love the quiet seclusion here where I can work and blend into the neighborhood,” he says. “The studio is unobtrusive and quite a surprise for visitors. They seem to enjoy seeing a rather uncommon art form and it is a pleasure to show off what we can do.” Stephan shares his glass studio with his daughter Elise, also a glassblower. “Glass blowing is magical and fun to watch as we all do the same thing quite differently,” says Robert.

Michele Alexander, who has had several studio locations across Asheville in her 35 years as an artist, says the community of artists in Beaverdam is uniquely supportive. “It is comforting when you are struggling with your work just to know that there is someone nearby who feels the same joy or angst and is ready to assist you in any way,” she says. While Alexander is known for her mixed metal jewelry, she has been expanding her creative endeavors to include abstract realism paintings in the last couple of years. “I am attempting to create work which inspires joy in the viewer day after day, whether it be a personal adornment or a wall adornment,” she says. “Art is a very personal experience to each of us, but such a pleasure to share. This tour gives us a lot of great art in a short drive and we all welcome those who take a few hours to share with us.”