Asheville Arts Council hosts The Emerald Ball and Art Auction - October 5th

The Asheville Area Arts Council is preparing a sparkling event for you as the 2013 annual Asheville Area Arts Council fundraiser. Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 5^th as the Asheville Area Arts Council hosts The Emerald Ball and Art Auction.

Not only is emerald the Pantone color of the year, it is the North Carolina state precious stone! The 2013 Emerald Ball & Auction will be held throughout the Pink Dog Creative building located in Asheville’s exciting River Arts District. The Pink Dog Creative, home of the Asheville Area Arts Council as well as a variety of great art studios and restaurants will be transformed into the Emerald City, the capital of OZ from L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of OZ. To expand the event from last years’ scope, and maximize its impact, a live Art Auction, curated by nationally recognized artist, Randy Shull, will be held as one of the evening’s highlights. Works featured will be from local collections as well as the work of celebrated artists.

In addition to the auction, the AAAC will light up your night with a bottomless cup of drink and all you can eat morsels, catered by distinguished local food and drink artisans. VIP ticket holders enjoy excellent perks, such as a special artists’ reception pre-party and sneak peek at auction items. As always, great entertainment, performance and dancing will round out the night. 

“I'm so incredibly excited to be hosting this year's Color Ball, the Emerald Ball, in Pink Dog Creative," says Kitty Love, executive director of the Council. "It is a special experience to be able to revel in the heart of the art, as the Pink Dog is a significant example of the power of creativity to build community, neighborhood identity, and the economy. Having our event in the AAAC Gallery, Randy Shull's studio, and the affiliated spaces in the RAD will immerse our guests in the vibrant power of the arts that they are supporting by attending the ball and helping us raise the funds we need to grow Buncombe County's arts, culture, and entertainment.”

The Emerald Ball will raise funds for the Asheville Area Arts Council to continue its mission to strengthen the vitality and visibility of the creative community through its programs, advocacy, and grants. More details on events and ticket sales will be announced in the coming months.  

For up-to-date information on the event, visit www.ashevillearts.com

WNC AIDS Project (WNCAP) announces Silver Anniversary Raise Your Hand Auction

The Western North Carolina AIDS Project’s annual Raise Your Hand Auction will celebrate its silver anniversary this year at the Doubletree Hotel, Biltmore on Saturday, October 12^th at 6pm.  With 250 ballroom seats available and tickets on sale now, the agency hopes raise the critical funds needed to support their mission of providing HIV/AIDS prevention education to the community and client services to over 500 men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in 18 western counties.

“WNCAP is feeling the effects of state funding cuts.” says Pam Siekman, WNCAP Board President and Raise Your Hand Chair. “Our services have expanded due to the increasing needs of our clients for assistance with accessing and paying for their expensive medications, finding affordable housing and food and transportation support services which help them live healthier and more productive lives”

The auction is WNCAP’s second largest fundraiser. Guests will be invited to bid on elaborate dinner packages presented by Asheville’s most creative chefs, antique collections, fine wines, getaway vacations, and an eclectic collection of local art.  Andrew Brunk of Brunk Auctions will take to the stage for the Live Auction portion of the evening, bringing with him this year’s Raise Your Hand Signature Piece; Daniel McClendon’s “Gazelle (Gemsbok)”.  Auction planners are also excited to announce Laurey Masterton, of Laurey’s Catering, as this year’s Honorary Chair. Besides her renowned culinary skills, Masterton has become a local hero for her support of non-profits throughout the Asheville community. She continues to bravely inspire others living with serious health issues in her courageous journey as a three-time cancer survivor.

For more information on this year’s event go to www.wncap.org/ryh or call 828-252-7489

RomanticAsheville.com travel guide celebrates 10 years

Online travel guide RomanticAsheville.com celebrates its 10th anniversary this month. The popular website launched in July 2003 and promotes travel to Asheville and its surrounding areas to more than a million readers annually in 150 countries.
 

What started as a hobby for founder and owner Mark File is now a comprehensive 600-page online travelogue drawing visitors to Western North Carolina from around the world.

RomanticAsheville.com’s focus is providing accurate, in-depth guides sprinkled with insider tips. And, it’s illustrated with plenty of photographs and videos.

“I visit every place I feature and I'm always carrying my camera,” File says. “I especially love the outdoors, so our hiking and waterfalls sections are the biggest – more than 100 pages.”

While the original focus was strictly Asheville, the website quickly expanded to include most of the mountains of North Carolina.  For example, the Blue Ridge Parkway guide covers 193 miles from Cherokee to Grandfather Mountain. Meanwhile, there are features on more than 20 small towns from Saluda to Beech Mountain to Highlands, with many things to do in between.
 

Recently, RomanticAsheville.com expanded again with 12 additional waterfall photo guides, 150 new images, and 10 videos. Overall, the website contains more than 2,500 photos showcasing the beauty of Asheville and Western North Carolina.

Many photos and videos are also shared on social media sites such as Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube. In fact, Romantic Asheville’s YouTube channel has logged nearly 900,000 views.

The guide grows organically based on reader interests. The most popular feature each year is the fall color guide, highlighted with a week-by-week peak color forecast. All content is free for readers, funded by advertising partners such as bed-and-breakfasts, hotels, cabin rentals and attractions. 

In its next decade, File plans to keep growing the site: “Every week I learn about something new in Western North Carolina,” he says. “And while I’ve been to places like Biltmore, many times, I always discover something with each visit.”

 

To view the guide, go to: www.RomanticAsheville.com.