Kicking off Saturday Nights at Black Mountain College Part 2:

Saturday November 7th 8pm- Midnight

Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St Asheville

Cover: $7 members, $10 for general public

Back by popular demand! The MAP and The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center will sponsor WHAT’S HAPPENING?!, a fundraiser dance party in the heart of the River Arts District of Asheville. This exciting event will raise money for the Museum’s “Living Legacy: Living Artists of Black Mountain College” exhibition series, and is part two of the official kick-off celebration to announce an exciting new series of Saturday Night Events at the original dining hall of the Black Mountain College. 

Wedge Microbrewery will once again provide their most excellent, handcrafted beer. Come early to enjoy some nibbles and to view the art installation of BMCM+AC board member, Linda Larsen, downstairs in the Flood Gallery. There will also be a salon in the upstairs library, hosted by Jolene Mechanic, where you can learn more about the college, our organizations, and our exciting upcoming events series.  More surprises are in the works—many will not be revealed until you arrive.  At the last party, a Theremin station, an open mic and a projection show, courtesy of Gene Felice, were all impromptu additions.  The new spin for this party: funk, soul and rock &roll.  Come prepared to get your groove on (and support some great local arts groups!). Get on the good foot!    

Back in the day students and staff at the Black Mountain College got together on Saturday nights to entertain each other with music, dance, poetry, theater or whatever they were moved to share.

“Saturday night parties were…a tradition at Black Mountain…for that one night in the week everybody put on shoes and dressed up: the women in dresses and stockings, the men in ties and jackets. Booze for the party was supplied by the student home-brew master on campus…” – Michael Rumaker 

Starting this fall, The Black Mountain Museum + Arts Center and The MAP are hosting a series of Saturday Night dinner and entertainment in this vein but with a fresh new twist. So be at WHAT’S HAPPENING?!, Saturday, November 7th, at the Phil Mechanic Building to help revive the Black Mountain College Saturday night tradition. More information can be found at http://www.blackmountaincollege.org or by calling 828.350.8484

Off the MAP for November

Tuesday October 27th 9pm-11pm $3 cover charge.

Bobo Gallery, 22 Lexington Ave, Asheville

Join Jason Holland from the Dr Awesome show for an evening of the worst video he can muster. Expect the unexpected, but my guess is there will be some bad training films, bad commercials and bad public access shows. But that's just a guess. You'll have to show up to find out what all the hubub is about. Perhaps this Off the MAP event should come with a warning. Side effects may include: offended morals, abdominal pain and cramping, blurry vision, bleeding from the eyes, cluster migraines, irregular heatbeat, and vomiting.

Here's the official poster for the event:

November 14th-15th, 10am-6pm
Asheville, North Carolina

The River District Artists are sponsoring a photography contest during the upcoming Studio Stroll, November 14th-15th, 10am-6pm. The contest is open to all ages and all skill levels. To join the group, read the guidelines, and upload submissions go to,    www.flickr.com/groups/riverartsdistrict. Judges will select first, second, and third place winners.  The first place winning photographer will receive $100, second and third place each receive $50.

During the Stroll more than one hundred and thirty studios in twelve distinctive historic buildings are open to the public within a one-mile by half-mile area.  The district also offers visitors a variety of options for dining and a brewery/tasting room. Throughout the weekend, Asheville Historic Trolly Tours provide a free shuttle service between buildings. The Trolly Tour begins and ends at the Chamber of Commerce on Montford Avenue, and makes a 30-minute loop through the district.

Full color maps with directions and a list of participating artists are available now at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, The Asheville Area Arts Council, River District studios and galleries, and other locations around town. Read more about River Artist District and the upcoming Studio Stroll online at www.riverartsdistrict.com.
 

Rules
Photos must be taken during the Fall Stroll.  Only photographs of current members of the River District Artists Association and their respective studios will be considered.  River District Artists' studios will be identified with a posted membership certificate located on the studio door, or just inside.

Date and time: November 14th-15th, 10am-6pm
Location: River Arts District, Asheville, NC

How:
You take pictures during the times above, upload them to Flickr, and submit them to the Flickr group.

Deadlines:
All images must be taken/exposed during the River Arts District Studio Stroll. Images that you submit must be uploaded to the Flickr site by the end of the day, November 20th.


Judging:
Judges will select the winning images and notify the winner by November 24th. The winners will be contacted via email, announced to the media, and posted on the River Arts District's web site.

Number of photos:
Each participant can submit up to 15 total images to www.flickr.com/groups/riverartsdistrict.

Captioning:
Participants should put in the Flickr caption: their name, name of the artist and their building, a photo title and a caption.

Licensing:
By participating in this project, photographers are agreeing to a “creative commons” license. Your photos should be marked with the "Creative Commons" license. All images submitted may be considered for use by the River Arts District (RAD) for advertising or promotional purposes.  Any photographs used by RAD will be credited with the photographers name.
 

Extrava 3.0: Spookypaloozananny
Friday, Oct. 30
7-11 p.m.
Pump Gallery in the Phil Mechanic Bldg, River Arts District
$10 suggested donation to AHOPE

Asheville’s online community gathers for a beer-fueled October 30 blowout as bloggers and Tweeters step away from their computers for a good cause: AHOPE, a charity serving Asheville’s homeless.

Now in its fourth year, the event formerly put on just for BlogAsheville fans and readers opens to all of Asheville’s online citizen media community. Awards are offered for Asheville’s favorite Tweeters (users of the social networking service, Twitter) and bloggers alike in 25 categories ranging from Tweeter I’d Most Like to Have a Beer With to Best Political Blog.

Other categories include Blog Most Likely to Make You Laugh Out Loud, Best Art/Photos, Best Local Happenings, Best New Blog, Most Underrated Blog, Best Writing, Blogger I’d Most Like to See Naked and Best Overall Blog.

The event raised $1000 for AHOPE last year, and organizers hope to raise more this year with the addition of the rest of Asheville’s thriving online community.

BlogAsheville organizers seek sponsorships/donations of raffle prizes and food and drink for 100-200 for a nonprofit event with 100 percent of proceeds donated to AHOPE. Sponsors receive exposure to leading Asheville bloggers, citizen journalists, social media mavens and an eclectic mix of online creative minds across multiple social media platforms.

Gordon Smith, the activist behind the Scrutiny Hooligans political blog, serves as the 2009 emcee. Entertainment includes musical acts Its Elephants and Albatross Party, comedy and juggling from 40 Fingers and a Missing Tooth.

Raffle tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. Tickets are $10 suggested donation, available at the door only.

About BlogAsheville
Founded in May 2005 and run by 41 contributing citizen editors, BlogAsheville builds community by sharing information about events, happenings and news in Asheville and of interest to Asheville residents: blogasheville.blogspot.com/
 

Main Theater at the Blender Conference

The 8th Annual Blender Conference will be held this October 23-25 in Amsterdam and Wray Bowling is going to be there to present and represent western North Carolina. Blender is a free open source 3D content creation suite which is available for all operating systems. That's pretty cool, so check out their site for more interesting stuff, including the schedule for the conference.

Wray's talk will be a review of his techniques for digital puppetry using Blender and Open Sound Control. The presentation will run for thirty minutes and in three parts: A short performance, a short lecture on the inner workings, and his projection for the future of Blender & Hardware input devices.
 

Talks will be happening all weekend, and in the past the conference has been broadcasted live over the internet, as it happens. Expect this to be the case again this year. If you're interested in seeing Wray's talk specifically, you'll have to wake up by 8:00am because of the extreme hour time zone difference (it will be 2:00 in the afternoon in Amsterdam). It looks like they'll post the video to their site after the conference, so don't worry if you miss it.

First of all, what is a Company Profle? Themap.org has two kinds of profiles. One is for you creative types (Supply), and the other, the Company Profile (Demand), is for you business types that want to hire the creatives.

The MAP directory is designed to assist businesses in two ways. You can search the directory for specific needs, and you can have a company profile that allows you to promote your company and post job listings to specific professionals. Company profiles are free and come with unlimited private workspaces for file exchange and project management. To apply for a free account click on the “apply for an account” link on the upper right hand corner of the page.

In just two months The MAP has built a database of over 150 digital media professionals. Now we are looking for companies who support local talent and want to add to their web presence by signing up for a company profile. Company profiles are free to any business that will need to hire digital media professionals.

We’re in the throws of a technological revolution which has greatly influenced the way that business gets done. Having a strong web based presence is now a necessary part of doing almost any business and that requires digital marketing, web development and video production. Finding the appropriate technology can be a daunting task. The MAP strives to make that process easier while also promoting regional talent. We believe that hiring local talent will strengthen our local economy and benefit all business in the region.

Asheville based business, The Elumenati, got to give the White House a tour of the Universe! Read all about it here.

On Wednesday, October 7th, the GeoDome Theater was featured at the White House ‘Star Party,’ an event hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.  NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Dr. D’nardo Colucci of The Elumenati  set up the GeoDome Theater on the White House lawn, and gave interactive dome presentations to visiting middle-school students. A statement from the White House about the event highlights the importance of astronomy “for its capacity to promote a greater awareness of our place in the universe, expand human knowledge, and inspire the next generation.” An address from the President kicked off the event.

This is old news, but apparently I had my head in a hole all August. I thought I pass it on in case you were doing the ostrich as well.

GOV. PERDUE SIGNS FILM INCENTIVES BILL
SB 943 Boosts Film Production Tax Credit to 25 Percent, Protects Jobs for North Carolinians

RALEIGH – Gov. Bev Perdue today signed Senate Bill 943 allowing production companies a 25 percent tax credit for film projects in North Carolina, up from the previous credit of 15 percent.  The bill also sets minimum spending and hiring requirements for qualifying film companies working in the state.

“This legislation will help grow our $91 million motion picture industry, preserve and create thousands of jobs and increase investments in yet another emerging economic cluster,” said Perdue. “Providing a strong foundation for North Carolina’s film industry is essential as we work to build a strong and sustainable economy through increased diversification.”

Companies must spend a minimum of $250,000 on production costs in the state to be eligible for the tax credit.  The bill, sponsored by Sen. Linda Garrou (D-Forsyth) also requires companies to meet hiring requirements for North Carolinians and other criteria to qualify for the incentive. 

“This incentive will help keep film production in North Carolina,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco.  “It will be a major boost for the film industry and allow us to compete on a level playing field in a vital and growing global market.”

“During these tough economic times, it’s critical to continue making investments that will grow jobs in our state,” said Sen. Linda Garrou (D-Forsyth). “This legislation will help expand North Carolina’s motion picture economy and create new employment opportunities across our state.”  

SB 943 ensures North Carolina remains a strong competitor for film production dollars, which totaled $91 million in direct spending in 2008.  The industry employs more than 2,500 statewide.  Recent major motion pictures filmed in the state include “Nights in Rodanthe,” “Leatherheads” and “The Secret Life of Bees.”  The N.C. film industry is also home to the CW Network’s “One Tree Hill” TV series as well as hundreds of commercial and industrial productions each year throughout the state.

More than 800 movies have been filmed in North Carolina.  The state is well known for supporting its motion picture industry with a strong infrastructure and a bevy of locations that can stand in for sites throughout the world.  North Carolina boasts an exceptional variety of filming locations from the mountains to the coast, and a world-class film industry infrastructure. Wilmington’s EUE Screen Gems, home of the largest studio lot east of California, recently opened the largest film and television production soundstage on the East Coast. 

For more details on the N.C. Film Office, go to: http://www.ncfilm.com/.

Despite the pouring rain, over 100 people turned out on September 26th for a MAP and Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center collaboration. Thank you to Jeff Hardman for taking so many great photos! You can look at more pictures here, and read Carol Motsinger's review here. It really was an excellent night! We've heard from a lot folks that they want to do it again so...

The MAP, BMCM+AC, and Phil Mechanic Studios will be joining up again on November 7th for another great  HAPPENING at the Phil Mechanic Studios in the River Arts District. Save the date!!

October 9-11, 2009 on the UNC Asheville Campus

The legacy of Black Mountain College continues to inform contemporary culture in multiple realms. This conference will investigate its history as well as the multiple paths of influence, actual and possible, identifiable in the contemporary world and beyond.

The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center and the University of North Carolina Asheville are pleased to announce Re-Viewing Black Mountain College, a three-day international conference October 9-11, 2009 to take place on the UNC Asheville campus. Scholars from all over the United States and as far away as France will gather in Asheville to share their ideas about the history and ongoing influence of the famous progressive college community located just outside of Black Mountain from 1933-1957.

The keynote speaker for the conference is BMC alumna and acclaimed artist Dorothea Rockburne. Her presentation will take place on Saturday, October 10th at 7:00pm at UNCA.  Rockburne’s Astronomy Drawings series of paintings is currently on display at BMCM+AC as part of its yearlong celebration of the women of Black Mountain College. A student at BMC in the 1950s, Dorothea Rockburne has been immersed in the contemporary art scene since that time. During the sixties she was involved in Judson Dance Theatre performances with artists such as Oldenburg and Rauschenberg. From 1965 until today she has shown internationally. A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a NEA grant, she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Department of Art, in 2001 and received the National Academy Museum Artist's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.

Selected highlights from the weekend schedule include:
Alone Together: On Merce Cunningham and the Question of Black Mountain College’s Artistic Legacy – Kate Markoski, Johns Hopkins University
What Josef Albers Taught at Black Mountain College, and What Black Mountain College Taught Albers - Frederick A. Horowitz, Washtenaw College
Black Mountain College: Form as the Creator of Content - Mary Emma Harris, Scholar, NY
The Weaver and the Architect: Reconstructing the Modern Shelter - Kirsten Dahlquist, University of South Florida
Aftereffects: Buckminster Fuller and the Legacy of Black Mountain College –Eva Diaz, Pratt Institute
“Like a Girl:” Gendered Sexual Difference at Black Mountain College and the Development of Postmodernism - Jonathan Katz, SUNY Buffalo
Motion Sculpture Movement Installation: Attack Of The Killer Stripey Tubes!!! - Claire Elizabeth Barratt, Cilla Vee Life Arts
Performance of “This Paradise Apart” a play by David Hopes, UNC-Asheville
 
In addition to over 50 scholarly presentations, the weekend conference will include poetry readings, performances and a clay, color and word workshop. A full conference schedule can be viewed at www.blackmountaincollege.org. Presenters include authors, educators, artists, independent scholars, poets, an architect and an experimental musician. The one thing they all share is a fascination with Black Mountain College and a common belief that it was an extremely significant educational and artistic endeavor that deserves attention, study and discourse.
 
Admission to the conference is  $10 per day or $15 for the weekend with free admission for UNCA faculty, staff + students. For advance tickets please call BMCM+AC at 828-350-8484.
 
For a complete schedule of conference events: www.blackmountaincollege.org