Floating Blue - Photography by Thomas Pickarski
2023-06-10 - 2023-07-15 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
“In this series of photographs, I aim to portray both the ethereal beauty of icebergs, as well as the otherworldliness of the landscapes in which they exist.”
When: June 10 – July 15, 2023
Where: Owen Gallery

Carmen Grier + Terry Gess: Together
2023-06-17 - 2023-07-22 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Carmen’s Work:
My work for this exhibit has been made this past winter — the perfect time to go inward.
When the leaves are down, the stark bare branches create the most engaging shapes as they curve and bend over and under each other. I find these line drawings in nature to be an unending source of inspiration. The colors of the landscape are fairly neutral but the sudden peek of a green water tank, an orange surveyor stick, or a red vine is enough to get me started on a color palette. Once I start working, the painting takes on a life of its own and I react to what’s before me, making moment-to-moment decisions. Some paintings find their way to completion faster than others but often I rework a painting multiple times before it is resolved. A new series of smaller works that will be shown is entitled: “Listening with My Eyes”.
Terry’s Work:
I’ve long made work that fits in the hand and in the kitchen. But with the solitude provided by the Covid pandemic, I’ve been exploring pottery making on a larger scale. This exhibit at Toe River Arts has given me the challenge of making work to adorn a large room, to let the pots interplay and influence the space surrounding them.
Everything changes when working large. Beyond the physical challenges of working with larger, much heavier shapes, my personal artistic goal has been to make new work that embodies a personality and character that is something of a departure from the forms I have made before. One of the treasures in this process is in seeing how glaze and surface can come into their own given ample space to move and interact with each other.
When: June 17 – July 22, 2023
Where: Kokol Gallery

Out of This World Clay Camp
2023-06-21 10:00 - 2023-06-23 12:00 (America/New_York) | High Country Ceramic Arts, Burnsville., 552 E U.S. Hwy 19E Bypass, Burnsville, North Carolina, 28714
Let’s explore Space with galactic clay creations. There are no limits to your imagination as you make aliens, sun and moon sculptures, and other space-inspired work!
When: June 21 – 23, 2023, 10 am – 12 pm
Where: High Country Ceramic Arts, Burnsville, NC
Workshop & materials fee:: $150 per participant
Register here.

A Feast For the Eyes Clay Camp
2023-06-28 10:00 - 2023-06-30 12:00 | High Country Ceramic Arts, Burnsville., 552 E U.S. Hwy 19E Bypass, Burnsville, North Carolina, 28714
Make your kitchen more colorful and creative with hand-built pottery! We’ll learn how to make bowls, cups, and plates. Students will decorate, glaze, and then enjoy eating from personalized pottery at home.
When: June 28 – 30, 2023, 10 am – 12 pm
Where: High Country Ceramic Arts, Burnsville, NC
Workshop & materials fee:: $150 per participant
Register here.

Carmen Grier + Terry Gess: Together Reception
2023-07-07 17:00 - 19:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
When: July 7, 2023, 5 PM – 7 PM
Where: Kokol Gallery

Second Tuesday Life Drawing - July
2023-07-11 18:00 - 20:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Let’s draw together! Bring your favorite drawing implements and surfaces, or use ours, and let’s spend the evening in the Toe River Arts Owen Gallery in Spruce Pine, sharing tips and tricks and improving our drawing skills. We’ll work with live-clothed models and still-life setups.
Register here.
When: Tuesday, July 13, 2023, 6 pm – 8 pm
Where: Owen Gallery, Spruce Pine, NC
Workshop & materials fee:
$12 – Single class – General Public
$10 – Single class- Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors
$50 – 5 class punch card – General Public
$40 – 5 class punch card- Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors
$95 – 10 class punch card – General Public
$75 – 10 class punch card – Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors

Fabulous Faerie Houses Clay Camp
2023-07-19 10:00 - 2023-07-21 12:00 | High Country Ceramic Arts, Burnsville., 552 E U.S. Hwy 19E Bypass, Burnsville, North Carolina, 28714
Sculpt a forest faerie home complete with doors, windows, and miniatures such as tiny tables and bowls. Students will experiment with a variety of sculptural techniques and then enjoy glazing on the last day.
When: July 19 – 21, 2023, 10 am – 12 pm
Where: High Country Ceramic Arts, Burnsville, NC
Workshop & materials fee:: $150 per participant
Register here.

Baskets and Candle Holders Clay Camp
2023-07-26 10:00 - 2023-07-28 12:00 | High Country Ceramic Arts, Burnsville., 552 E U.S. Hwy 19E Bypass, Burnsville, North Carolina, 28714
This workshop will focus on pinched and coil-built work. Just using our hands for much of the work, we’ll pinch the shapes and make baskets and candle holders. Students will learn to connect creative sculptural elements to pinched pots and create one-of-a-kind work!
When: July 26 – 28, 2023, 10 am – 12 pm
Where: High Country Ceramic Arts, Burnsville, NC
Workshop & materials fee:: $150 per participant
Register here.

Entangled: Intersections of Thought & Reality by Stephanie Thomas Berry & Alena Applerose
2023-07-29 - 2023-09-09 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Giving oneself the opportunity to work outside of usual constraints unlocks access to a deeper expression of the psyche. In conversation one day Alena and Stephanie, longtime kindred creative spirits, discovered they had embarked on a similar adventure in their studio practices that was exploring this very idea. Our exhibit consists of drawings and sculptures that we create in conversation with each other and that intersect with our inner life. In addition, we offer our audience an opportunity to join us on the journey of surrendering expectations through an interactive undertaking of their own. Participants are invited to hang their own creations, crafted within the space, with the exhibit.
When: July 29 – September 9, 2023
Where: Owen Gallery

Resilience: The Heart of Ukraine – Photography by Michael Andrews
2023-08-04 - 2023-09-09 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
The photo exhibition, “Resilience: The Heart of Ukraine” features work by American photographer Michael Andrews. As a volunteer with United States Peace Corps Ukraine in 2018–19, Andrews augmented his service as a consultant to an HIV and AIDS service agency working as a photographer for Ukraine’s Baba Yelka Cultural Expedition. The group was formed in 2018 to preserve and share the unique cultural traditions of Ukraine’s Kirovoghad region — stories, songs, recipes, and material culture, including traditional embroidery.
“Resilience” offers a unique window into remote village life before Russia’s invasion, and focuses on the lives of Ukrainian “babusyas” (grandmothers) and their cultural roots.
The exhibition was a year in the making and required long-distance collaboration between Andrews and his Ukrainian colleagues. “Resilience” debuted in Charlotte, NC in 2022, and presently is on tour to a number of American venues. The exhibition invites discussion of a range of timely topics, including the iconic role of grandmothers in Ukrainian culture, the country’s history, unique traditions, and today’s war.
“Resilience: The Heart of Ukraine” is a tribute to the babusyas and families who preserve Ukraine’s unique and beautiful culture and to the Baba Yelka Expedition’s race against time and unthinkable war to preserve Ukraine’s unique traditions for future generations to embrace.
When: August 4 – September 9
Where: Kokol Gallery

Entangled: Intersections of Thought & Reality Reception
2023-08-04 17:00 - 19:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
When: August 4, 2023, 5 PM – 7 PM
Where: Owen Gallery

Resilience: The Heart of Ukraine Reception
2023-08-04 17:00 - 19:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
When: August 4, 5PM – 7PM
Where: Kokol Gallery

Second Tuesday Life Drawing - August
2023-08-08 18:00 - 20:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Let’s draw together! Bring your favorite drawing implements and surfaces, or use ours, and let’s spend the evening in the Toe River Arts Owen Gallery in Spruce Pine, sharing tips and tricks and improving our drawing skills. We’ll work with live-clothed models and still-life setups.
Register here.
When: Tuesday, August 8, 2023, 6 pm – 8 pm
Where: Owen Gallery, Spruce Pine, NC
Workshop & materials fee:
$12 – Single class – General Public
$10 – Single class- Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors
$50 – 5 class punch card – General Public
$40 – 5 class punch card- Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors
$95 – 10 class punch card – General Public
$75 – 10 class punch card – Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors

Countertop Catch-All Baskets with Bridget VanRemortel
2023-09-02 10:00 - 17:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Join Bridget for a day of learning about traditional Appalachian basketry while weaving your very own Countertop Catch-All basket.
“I have always loved creating with my hands in one way or another. I love to create with color and make something that is functional and useful. I enjoy being able to make something that can be used every day and fill a need.” – Bridget VanRemortel
When: September 2, 2023, 10 am – 5 pm
Where: Toe River Arts Owen Gallery, Spruce Pine, NC
Workshop & materials fee: $65 general public; $55 artist members & donors* (*members & donors must be current at the promotional level)
Register here.

Second Tuesday Life Drawing - September
2023-09-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Let’s draw together! Bring your favorite drawing implements and surfaces, or use ours, and let’s spend the evening in the Toe River Arts Owen Gallery in Spruce Pine, sharing tips and tricks and improving our drawing skills. We’ll work with live-clothed models and still-life setups.
Register here.
When: Tuesday, September 12, 2023, 6 pm – 8 pm
Where: Owen Gallery, Spruce Pine, NC
Workshop & materials fee:
$12 – Single class – General Public
$10 – Single class- Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors
$50 – 5 class punch card – General Public
$40 – 5 class punch card- Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors
$95 – 10 class punch card – General Public
$75 – 10 class punch card – Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors

Waking Dream – Paintings and Jewelry by Allison Edge and Diana Alexander
2023-09-23 - 2023-10-21 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
In this dual exhibition featuring the works of Allison Edge and Diana Alexander, “Waking Dream” refers to the experience of seeing the outside world in low-lit, half-lit, or fog-obscured scenarios, evoking a dream-like quality and straddling the boundaries of familiarity and unknowns. Allison’s paintings, hung on the walls in this exhibition, set the stage and atmosphere for Diana’s neckpiece adornments, presented on pedestals and armatures within the space. Allison Edge’s body of work titled “Waking Dream” includes oil paintings depicting landscapes and images of nature at night, at twilight, in fog or mist, or a combination of these factors. She has been collecting photographic references as source imagery for these paintings, including scenes from Western North Carolina, the South Carolina coast, Florida, and Costa Rica. Some images are pinned with stars or artificial light sources, often indistinguishable from one another.
Adornment has been worn by humans for thousands of years, and by virtually every culture ever known. It has played a symbolic role in every part of the world since then. In Diana Alexander’s “Waking Dream” series, she endeavors to create adornments that mesh with the environment created by Allison’s paintings. Somewhere between reality and myth, shadow and breaking light — How would you adorn yourself in an atmosphere evoked by these dream-like qualities, darkened but glistening with muted color, shadowed but alive with movement?
When: September 23 – October 21
Where: Kokol Gallery

Compliant: Exhibition of Work by Melisa Cadell
2023-09-30 - 2023-11-18 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Melisa Cadell is presenting experimental work that explores the concept of beauty. The work will be largely focussed in work that utilizes plastic and its alluring pliant nature. The exhibit will include but not be limited to sculpture, painting, ice forms, water containers, video, and other ephemeral works.
When: September 30 – November 18
Where: Owen Gallery

Second Tuesday Life Drawing - October
2023-10-10 18:00 - 20:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Let’s draw together! Bring your favorite drawing implements and surfaces, or use ours, and let’s spend the evening in the Toe River Arts Owen Gallery in Spruce Pine, sharing tips and tricks and improving our drawing skills. We’ll work with live-clothed models and still-life setups.
Register here.
When: Tuesday, October 10, 2023, 6 pm – 8 pm
Where: Owen Gallery, Spruce Pine, NC
Workshop & materials fee:
$12 – Single class – General Public
$10 – Single class- Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors
$50 – 5 class punch card – General Public
$40 – 5 class punch card- Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors
$95 – 10 class punch card – General Public
$75 – 10 class punch card – Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors

Fall Studio Tour Preview Exhibition
2023-11-04 - 2023-12-30 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
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 10-12. The exhibition opens on November 4 in the Spruce Pine Kokol Gallery and will run through the tour weekend. It is an opportunity for visitors to get a preview of the artists that 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 10, 5:30PM – 7:00PM and is open to the public.
When: November 4 – December 30
Where: Kokol Gallery

2023 Fall Studio Tour
2023-11-10 - 2023-11-12
This driving tour through Mitchell and Yancey Counties will take visitors along the meandering Toe River, across its many bridges, around barns, acres of fields, and miles of forests all while visiting the talented studio artists and galleries participating.
When: November 10 – 12
Where: Click to see the participating artists and galleries.

Compliant Reception
2023-11-10 17:00 - 19:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
When: November 10, 5PM – 7PM
Where: Owen Gallery

Fall Studio Tour Exhibition Reception
2023-11-10 17:30 - 19:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
When: November 10, 5:30 – 7:00 PM
Where: Kokol Gallery

Second Tuesday Life Drawing - November
2023-11-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Let’s draw together! Bring your favorite drawing implements and surfaces, or use ours, and let’s spend the evening in the Toe River Arts Owen Gallery in Spruce Pine, sharing tips and tricks and improving our drawing skills. We’ll work with live-clothed models and still-life setups.
Register here.
When: Tuesday, November 14, 2023, 6 pm – 8 pm
Where: Owen Gallery, Spruce Pine, NC
Workshop & materials fee:
$12 – Single class – General Public
$10 – Single class- Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors
$50 – 5 class punch card – General Public
$40 – 5 class punch card- Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors
$95 – 10 class punch card – General Public
$75 – 10 class punch card – Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors

“How Charming” Charm Bracelet Workshop
2023-12-09 10:00 - 12:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Join Alena Applerose for a morning jewelry making workshop. Our collection contains a charm for just about anything, so dig-in to our whimsical supplies and leave wearing your very own personalized charm bracelet. Or make a special gift for someone you love!
Register here.
When: Saturday, December 9th from 10 am – 12 pm
Where: Toe River Arts, Spruce Pine, NC
Workshop & materials fee: $25 per person. All materials & supplies provided.

Second Tuesday Life Drawing - December
2023-12-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Let’s draw together! Bring your favorite drawing implements and surfaces, or use ours, and let’s spend the evening in the Toe River Arts Owen Gallery in Spruce Pine, sharing tips and tricks and improving our drawing skills. We’ll work with live-clothed models and still-life setups.
Register here.
When: Tuesday, December 12, 2023, 6 pm – 8 pm
Where: Owen Gallery, Spruce Pine, NC
Workshop & materials fee:
$12 – Single class – General Public
$10 – Single class- Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors
$50 – 5 class punch card – General Public
$40 – 5 class punch card- Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors
$95 – 10 class punch card – General Public
$75 – 10 class punch card – Current Toe River Arts Members & Donors

“Charmed, I’m Sure” Wine Glass Charms Workshop
2023-12-14 17:30 - 19:30 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Join Alena Applerose for an evening of fun making your very own set of personalized stemware charms. We’ll sip some beverages (red, white, and non-alcoholic) and enjoy each other’s company as each participant creates a set of 8-12 stemware charms that will be perfect for your upcoming holiday gatherings or to give as a gift.
Register here.
When: Thursday, December 14th from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Where: Toe River Arts, Spruce Pine, NC
Workshop & materials fee: $25 per person. All materials & supplies provided.

Valentine Wall Vases
2024-02-03 10:00 - 12:00 | High Country Ceramic Arts, Burnsville., 552 E U.S. Hwy 19E Bypass, Burnsville, North Carolina, 28714
Join Anna Early, of High Country Ceramic Arts for a Clay Valentine class! We’ll make pocket vases to hang on the wall. Students ages 5+ will explore texture and color as they make hand-build vases. Brighten your home and heart with Valentine’s art!
About the teacher: Anna Early enjoys working with kids of all ages as a teaching artist in Mitchell and Yancey County schools and through kids’ camps at Penland. Anna has many years in the classroom and holds a Montessori teaching certificate.
Register here.
When: Saturday, February 3rd from 10 am – 12 pm
Where: High Country Ceramic Arts, Burnsville, NC
Cost: $55 per participant, ages 5+

Woven Paper Heart Baskets & Valentine’s Paper Craft
2024-02-10 10:00 - 13:00 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Join Alena Applerose in the Owen Gallery for a morning of Valentine-themed paper crafts including woven paper heart baskets & collaged cards for your loved ones. Class includes instruction & all materials.
Register here.
When: Saturday, February 10th from 10 am – 1 pm
Where: Toe River Arts, Spruce Pine, NC
Cost: $25 per participant.

Second Tuesday Life Drawing - February
2024-02-13 17:30 - 19:30 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
Bring your favorite drawing implements and surfaces or use the provided materials, and let’s spend an evening each month drawing together. We’ll alternate months between clothed live models and still life set-ups, engage in thoughtful discussion about technique, have some guest artists share their tips and tricks, and improve our observational drawing skills together. Come once or twice or every month!
Ages 16+ (guardian consent needed for those under 18)
Register here.
When: Second Tuesdays from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Where: Toe River Arts Owen Gallery
Cost: $10 per class (members), $12 per class (non-members)

Mitchell County Student Showcase
2024-02-17 - 2024-03-16 | Toe River Arts Gallery – Spruce Pine, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777, United States
The Mitchell County Arts In Education Showcase exhibition features the artwork of K -12 students who live in Mitchell County. Represented is public, private, homeschooled and unschooled work. Presented each year by Toe River Arts & Penland School of Crafts and The Arts Matter group. We are thrilled to display the 2d and 3d work of our talented young community members and celebrate the importance of art in their lives. The exhibition is in the Kokol Gallery in Spruce Pine and a public reception will take place on March 2, 11am – 1pm.
When: February 17 – March 16
Where: Kokol Gallery
