The Duel 2 My Version. Tessa Lang, artist
The artists of Asheville’s River Arts District will open their doors for the annual Fall Stroll on Saturday, November 10, and Sunday, November 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Special demonstrations and events will be held at various studios within the district’s onemile area. Free parking and a free shuttle will be available.
Jenny Ellis, of Sittin’ Pretty, is one of the many artists who will be working in her studio on Depot Street during the stroll. “I will be working on, and displaying, two chairs—‘The Ever After Chairs,’” she says. “I am applying a gorgeous wedding dress to the backs of the frames. My client and I designed them with the detail of designing a couture dress. Every detail of the chair will display a beautiful memory.” Ellis looks forward to Second Saturday and Stroll events, she adds, because she enjoys sharing with visitors the techniques that make her chair art “unique and interesting.”
Tessa Lang, of the Wedge Studios, also enjoys the camaraderie these events foster and the chance to draw new visiting audiences to the RAD. “As an artist, I enjoy the opportunity to climb out of the creative ‘rabbit hole’ to learn what excites viewers as well as what may inspire me to push creative boundaries and take my art to new places,” she says. She has, for example, parlayed some of her octopus paintings into a unique and funky line of leggings.
Among the many other artists participating in the Stroll are Angela Alexander, Sarah and John Faulkner, Cheryl Keefer and Wendy Whitson, all of NorthLight Studios; Grace C. Bomer of Warehouse Studios; Pat Phillips of Pink Dog; Shelly Schenker and Andy Cooper of Eco-Depot; Suzanne Armstrong and Gretchen Chadwick of Riverview Station; Jonas Gerard; Andrea Kulish; and Odyssey Coop Gallery.
A food drive collecting nonperishable food items for MANNA FoodBank will be held during the weekend. Donations and information on the event will be located at the City of Asheville’s newly renovated building at 14 Riverside Drive.
For a complete schedule of events and times, a map and a studio guide to the district’s artists, visit RiverArtsDistrict.com.
