Toe River Arts

Shoes, Storytellers of Our Lives: Dori Settles
2025-09-20 - 2025-10-18 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
When: September 20 – October 18, 2025
Where: Kokol Gallery
Our nation was once known as a melting pot, accepting people from all walks of life. It has now become one of hardened hearts and closed minds. How can we return to open dialogue without name calling and judgement? We learn to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Shoes: Storytellers of Our Lives is a traveling exhibit of shoes accompanied with stories written by the shoe owners. These stories, translated into glass represent our common humanity. The result of using the pâte de verre technique lends to an added feeling of fragility, another reminder of the importance of honoring and holding space for others.

Shoes, Storytellers of Our Lives: Dori Settles Reception
2025-09-26 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
When: September 26, 2025, 5 PM – 7 PM
Where: Kokol Gallery

Drift Away: George Pfeffer and Linda Goodwin Reception
2025-09-26 17:00 - 19:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
When: September 26, 2025, 5 PM – 7 PM
Where: Owen Gallery

Wistfulness & Whimsy: Melissa Flattery
2025-10-25 - 2025-12-13 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
When: October 25 – December 13, 2025
Where: Owen Gallery
My Wistfulness & Whimsy art exhibition incorporates exuberant color and a broad variety of media. It features approximately 45 pieces of art, including paintings, carved eggs, embellished boxes, quilling pieces, glass bowls, and bespoke jewelry. Although I experienced adventures and success during my US Air Force career, I also endured significant stress, long hours, and overwhelming obstacles. My creativity was stifled but now that I’ve closed that chapter of my life, I’m brimming with ideas, inspiration, and an intense desire to create. These incongruous facets of my life are the impetus for this exhibition’s title. My paintings are characterized by bold colors and whimsical subjects. These abstract pieces utilize acrylic, alcohol ink, resin, and metal leaf and evoke a sense of joy and wonder. My eggs (ostrich, emu, rhea, and goose) are intricately carved making them each a unique and delicate work of art. My “Flattery Boxes” are adorned with beautiful papers and a wide variety of embellishments. The quilling pieces are made by rolling thin strips of paper into elaborate designs utilizing a variety of colors and patterns. My mosaic glass bowls are made from both sea and tumbled glass. The distinct jewelry pieces—primarily pins and pendants—are made from the beautiful and intriguing workings of antique pocket watches. The exhibit is full of life, energy, and wonder, and is sure to transport those who experience it to their happy place.

2025 Fall Studio Tour Preview Exhibition
2025-11-01 - 2025-12-31 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
When: November 1 – December 31, 2025
Where: Kokol Gallery
The Studio Tour Preview Exhibition is an exhibition of work from artists in Mitchell and Yancey Counties who are participating in the November Studio Tour. The exhibit is in conjunction with the Annual November Studio Tour, which takes place annually on the second weekend of November. This year’s studio tour weekend is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, November 14–16. The exhibition opens on November 1st in the Spruce Pine Kokol Gallery and will run through the end of the year. It is an opportunity for visitors to get a preview of the artists who are on the tour and what they will be showing in their studios. We encourage visitors to come by the gallery and view this exhibition before they travel to the artists’ studios. There will be a reception on Friday, November 14, 5:30 PM–7:30 PM, and is open to the public.

2025 Fall Studio Tour
2025-11-14 - 2025-11-16 | NC
The Toe River Arts Studio Tour — scheduled for November 14-16, 2025 — will open the studios and galleries of more than 80 artists across rural Mitchell County and Yancey County in the mountains of western North Carolina. Visitors will be able to drive a self-guided route through the scenic countryside, meet the artists in their working spaces, and explore diverse media and gallery sites scattered throughout the two counties. The event is an enriching mix of art, craft, and Appalachian charm — perfect for a weekend of discovery, inspiration, and regional culture.
2025 November Studio Tour Guide
2025 November Studio Tour Online Map

Wistfulness & Whimsy: Melissa Flattery Reception
2025-11-14 17:00 - 19:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
When: November 14, 2025, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Where: Owen Gallery

2025 Fall Studio Tour Preview Reception
2025-11-14 17:30 - 19:30 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
When: November 14, 2025, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Where: Kokol Gallery
