Apr 14 Tuesday
Join us in this hands on class where you will make a hammered sterling silver wide band ring. One of Ignite's fabulous instructors will take you through the process step by step including soldering, shaping, hammering, and finishing your ring. These also make great wedding bands! Come make your own wedding bands (or each other’s) in our fully equipped studio. Or just take this as a fun make-and-take in our amazing maker space. This class is a little taste of what it’s like to make jewelry as a profession. You'll leave with a beautiful ring made to size in our downtown Asheville metalsmithing studio. $120 includes all materials Arrive 15 minutes early to sign the safety waiver and get settled. *Convenient parking is available just below the studio in either the Harrah's Parking Garage or Rankin Parking Garage, 1st hour is free!
Apr 15 Wednesday
A Multi-Media Journey of Resilience, Fiber Art, and Painting by Julie Miles
Three summers ago, in a lightkeeper’s house-turned-museum off the coast of Maine, Julie Miles was asked a simple but piercing question: “Who are you outside of your family?” “Made of This” is her answer.After an eight-year hiatus from painting to support her family through her husband’s early-onset Parkinson’s diagnosis, Miles returns to her artistic practice with work rooted in resilience, devotion, and rediscovery. What began as an homage to her farming grandparents evolved into an immersive exploration of material, labor, and belonging.For this body of work, Miles learned to process and spin raw wool, dye fibers with plants over an open fire, and weave twill cloth on a vintage four-shaft loom. She turned to pinhole photography to create self-portraits in the landscapes of her Michigan youth—beaches, open fields, and rural expanses that echo memory and identity.Blending fiber, photography, and painting, “Made of This” honors both the harshness and tenderness of life. It invites viewers to dwell in the quiet space where grief and joy coexist, where materials “dictate” their own becoming, and where loving it all—labor, loss, beauty, play—leads to a life well lived.Join us for the opening reception on April 3rd and experience a powerful return to art shaped by devotion, discovery, and the enduring act of making.
April 3 – 26 Monday – Friday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Reception: April 3, 5:00 – 6:30 PM at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts
The word craft-itarianism was coined by 2026 Center for Craft Curatorial Fellow Alyssa Velazquez to name artistic projects that generate employment, raise awareness, or offer therapeutic support through craft. These programs provide a space where people affected by addiction, incarceration, and gun violence can find solidarity while learning a skill.
Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft celebrates nonprofits and artists who believe in—and actively practice—the power of craft to support and empower individuals and communities.
This exhibition was curated by 2026 Center for Craft Curatorial Fellow Alyssa Velazquez. Launched in 2017, the Curatorial Fellowship supports emerging curators exploring new ideas about craft with mentorship, professional development, and a $5,000 honorarium to realize an exhibition.
On view February 27, 2026–September 27, 2026.
This is an exhibition of multiple artists works as they pertain to the interpretation of relationships between color and mood. Consider the emotional power of color and the way it evokes story, atmosphere and meaning. This exhibition hopes to reveal a playful and experimental interaction through color's ability to shape perceptions and influence emotions.
Apr 16 Thursday
Apr 17 Friday
Make it yourself! Join us at our downtown Asheville metalsmithing studio to make this silver + brass + CZ star charm. You'll solder, set, stamp, and polish your charm. Leave with your finished piece. *Silver chain included and family friendly activity ages 12 and up **All silver upgrades available and other charm shapes available as well