Community Calendar

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.

Amplifying diverse Appalachian voices

Music and dance have been a vital part of the Folk School since its founding in 1925. As we celebrate our 100th year, Centennial Sounds honors this legacy by spotlighting the cultural richness of Appalachian music and the many voices that shape it. This special performance series will feature five headliners whose work expands and redefines the story of Appalachian music. Through these concerts, we aim to create new opportunities for our community in Western North Carolina to experience the full spectrum of Appalachian sound.

The Jazz Showcase is curated by esteemed pianist, scholar, and UNC Asheville music professor Dr. Bill Bares; this showcase series is dedicated to bringing the region’s finest jazz musicians and most compelling sounds to our stage in a true listening room experience.

Thirty years ago, RENT ignited Broadway like a lightning bolt — a raw, raucous, Pulitzer Prize–winning love letter that gave voice to the misfits, the rebels, the ones who loved without permission. Three decades later, its fire still burns.

In the East Village, a patchwork of outsiders fight to create and survive in a city that’s forgotten them. They turn struggle into art and fear into defiance. Through loss, love, and the noise of the city, they find strength together in the face of adversity.

Based on Puccini’s masterpiece, La Bohème, and fueled by its electric rock score and unflinching humanity, RENT is one of the most influential musicals of the 20th century, reimagined this season with the bold artistry of Flat Rock Playhouse. Join the revolution. No Day But Today.

Event Times: 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
TICKETS STARTING AT: $60
Child Pricing Available (17 & under)

Join our intercultural summer day camps where children 6-12 years old explore music creation, international dance, music instrument building, and other forms of art in a joyful and supportive environment. Each child receives personal attention and a meaningful creative experience.

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.

COME JAM ON TUESDAYS!
Fireforge's Open Bluegrass Acoustic Jam with hosts Matt Purinton and Sam Kruer is every Tuesday evening from 6:30-8:30 pm! Everyone with an acoustic instrument is welcome to play. Come jam or listen and request tunes! It’s going to be a ton of picking and grinning . See you there!

MEET THE HOSTS
Matt and Sam are both veterans of the Greenville music scene. While both are steeped in bluegrass, they’re versatile in their ability to play many styles. Matt’s fiery mandolin playing and Sam’s rock solid bass grooves enable them to make an exciting bluegrass sound that you’ll want to rock with!

We are taking a break from our usual Tuesday programming to raise money for our local Junior Appalachian Musicians program. The Transylvania County Junior Appalachian Musician (JAM) Program offers free classes and weekly opportunities for students to play music together in an informal setting. Classes are offered for guitar, clawhammer banjo, fiddle, band, and ukulele. The teachers in the JAM program are working musicians with a passion to keep traditional music alive in the Appalachian Region. As students advance in the program they work to place them in ensembles.

This evening’s event will feature music by Woody Platt, Mike Guggino, & Mike Ashworth along with others who will sit in. There will also be a silent auction component featuring house concerts and more!

The Jazz Showcase is curated by esteemed pianist, scholar, and UNC Asheville music professor Dr. Bill Bares; this showcase series is dedicated to bringing the region’s finest jazz musicians and most compelling sounds to our stage in a true listening room experience.

Thirty years ago, RENT ignited Broadway like a lightning bolt — a raw, raucous, Pulitzer Prize–winning love letter that gave voice to the misfits, the rebels, the ones who loved without permission. Three decades later, its fire still burns.

In the East Village, a patchwork of outsiders fight to create and survive in a city that’s forgotten them. They turn struggle into art and fear into defiance. Through loss, love, and the noise of the city, they find strength together in the face of adversity.

Based on Puccini’s masterpiece, La Bohème, and fueled by its electric rock score and unflinching humanity, RENT is one of the most influential musicals of the 20th century, reimagined this season with the bold artistry of Flat Rock Playhouse. Join the revolution. No Day But Today.

Event Times: 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
TICKETS STARTING AT: $60
Child Pricing Available (17 & under)