Legacy Boards. Bill and Kerri Dwyer, artists. Photo by Ryan Theede
Grovewood Gallery will host its annual Holiday Sip & Shop, a beloved seasonal tradition, on Friday and Saturday, December 6 and 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Most gallery items are discounted by 10 percent all weekend, and there will be demonstrations and complimentary wine from Metro Wines. The event provides a crucial way to support artists in the wake of Hurricane Helene and a very slow tourism season.
Bill and Kerri Dwyer Shea, owners of Legacy Boards in Marshall, will be demonstrating at the gallery on both days of the event. The pair will have a variety of leathers, wood samples and accessories on hand to show their process for making custom backgammon boards and game tables. “We encounter so many people that say they played backgammon when they were kids,” says Kerri. “We see them look at our boards and tables and watch their faces light up as they remember enjoying the game. We enjoy meeting people that are avid players and appreciate the work that we do.”
Also on both days, Brandy Clements, a fourth-generation chair weaver of the Silver River Center for Chair Caning, will be on hand to demonstrate her traditional craft. Silver River Center was the nation’s only chair weaving school and museum, and the business, located at CURVE Studios and Garden for the last 10 years, was swept away by Hurricane Helene. “If this had just happened to us, it would be awful,” says Clements, “but that it happened to 80 percent of the RAD, several other neighborhoods, communities and towns is incomprehensible. The catastrophic effects of this storm on the craft industry and Western North Carolina will be felt for decades. We launched more than 30 small businesses out of our school, so it’s a little bit of a balm to know that our business isn’t quite lost or dead, but currently still swirling about in the universe through the work of our students and the enjoyment of the customers whose heirlooms we restored.”
The Holiday Sip & Shop will be an opportunity to be a part of that swirling universe as Clements demonstrates handwoven chair caning and shares material samples and information panels. “I am excited to be back at Grovewood, among the trees,” says Clements. “It’s a comfortable but posh venue and I always feel welcomed and flattered to be part of such an esteemed gallery. Demonstrating at Grovewood is like going over to a particularly nerdy friend’s house for a weekend of crafting and, of course, wine.”
Grovewood Village is located at 111 Grovewood Road, adjacent to and below the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville. Free parking is available onsite. To learn more, visit Grovewood.com or call 828.214.7768.
